From Here to Eternity
by Sno Phoenix
Summary: A collaborated story from a handful of talented writers. Just about anything can and will eventually happen except without the major focus on pairings. As you'll never know what's going to happen, you might as well read then, ne? Rating to be safe.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: We're Sno Phoenix, a group of authors dedicated to writing to the best of our abilities and presenting our work to the general public. Symphonia isn't ours, we don't say it is, and all that jazz. However! The ideas presented in this story _**ARE**_ ours. They belong to Sno Phoenix and all its members, to be used within the Sno Phoenix group only. So please read and enjoy, not plagiarize, all right? If you really, really must write something along the lines of what we've already written, to the point that you feel you may explode if you don't, ask us about it.

Announcements: Oh wow... They voted for my entry. So, if I'm the first, I guess that means I need to say hello. ... Hello! Twilight Scribe here, speaking on behalf of the group.

If you've already read about the Sno Phoenix Collaboration in our forum and have been eagerly awaiting the start, it's finally here. If you're totally new to our little project, then welcome. Like I said up there, this fic is being collaboratively written by the members of Sno Phoenix with each chapter being written by a different member. (Yes, there will be repeats, but not consecutive ones.) Full details about us can be found in our forum on BabyKatSnophlake's profile page.

It's good, AU fun for us and we hope it'll produce a killer tale.

Now, my personal, not-speaking-for-the-group author's notes: Remember that communicator thing Yuan had at the Iselia Human Ranch? That was a radio. They use mana-powered radios in ToS, and call them radios, effective now. They also have radio antennas. Yep. ... And I hope you like what I've done with your map, Valian. I figured a master of time and space like Origin wouldn't be content with a piece of parchment... Now, enjoy!

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**Prologue - The Fractured World**

by Twilight Scribe

(With beta-reading by I.K.A. Valian and The Sage of Spirits, plus other assistance by Acriym, Baby Kat Snophlake, Dragon's Shadow, Li-chan0767, Mieu, Moonshine's Guide, and Salan Trong. Gotta give credit where credit is due, thanks guys!)

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Regal was glad to be inside. His work was grim, but much preferred to being out in the monsoon that raged just beyond the window of his borrowed study. Peering through the water-slicked glass and sheets of driving rain he could barely make out the shape of the newly-constructed refugee camp at the city's edge. A haphazard collection of tents and other temporary shelters, set up just outside Meltokio's walls to house all those forced from their homes by the recent natural disasters. Now a truly miserable sight, completely waterlogged and sodden. Given the fierce storms appearing over the rest of the world, it was no surprise that Meltokio would also have its share of violent weather. However, no one could have predicted such a storm would last a week and still show no signs of abating...

Tearing his eyes from the window, Regal turned his attention back to the documents lying on his desk. Ecological surveys, weather reports, and data sheets charting the fluctuating mana levels across the new world lay strewn over the entire surface. Thrown carelessly on top of the mess was a note from Sheena that arrived just hours ago, tacked onto a stack of new reports from the field.

"Regal," Regal read aloud. "Weather in Mizuho really sucks. Wish the Summon Spirits could help, but they don't seem to be able to stop it for more than an hour at best. Then the disasters come right back. Your Lezareno boys are pretty helpful though. Wish we'd know this was going to happen when the worlds were reunited. We could use some more supplies here. Signed Sheena."

Helpful? For the past two months, ever since the almost continuous natural disasters began to occur and the world plunged into barely-controlled chaos, Lezareno Corp's best environmental engineers had been working around the clock to try and find a pattern to the destruction and some way to counter it. Their findings were informative, but they still failed to discover anything useful.

Though Regal had suspected that unifying the two worlds would have some unforeseen effects on the climate, what was occurring now was just too much. The storms and tornados, forest fires started by lightning strikes; earthquakes razing Iselia and burying Asgard under stories of rubble; tsunami that obliterated Palmacosta once again and flooded Altamira; and now the impenetrable blizzard that had severed all contact with those in Flanoir... All these disasters, all the destruction and loss of life, it didn't seem like the newly-formed planet was resettling itself into a stable state; it seemed like a world caught in its death throes. In the face of all that had happened, Regal couldn't help but believe that although their dream of reviving the Great Tree and reuniting the worlds had no doubt been successful, something was terribly wrong with their new home.

Sitting alongside the environmental reports was a stack of more urgent papers, the requisition forms detailing what supplies each of the three refugee camps were in need of. Tents, beds, food, fuel, medicine... Regal closed his eyes, hoping to steal just a moment of peace. It was all so frustrating! Despite his best attempts to use Lezareno Corp's resources to supply at least the basic essentials to the displaced population, to give them some semblance of comfort, there just wasn't enough to go around and the shortages were getting worse each day.

Scrawling a quick signature on the bottom of each page to approve all the shipments of supplies to the camps in Luin and New Mizuho, Regal tucked the forms into an envelope and looked to the grandfather clock standing against the opposite wall. It was almost time to head to the Martel Cathedral, and the temporary clinic set up within, to relieve Zelos. The Chosen would no doubt be thankful for a break from healing the endless stream of injuries and illnesses that passed through. Retrieving his heavy rain cloak from the rack by the door, Regal steeled himself to face the storm once again and sincerely hoped that his comrades in Luin and New Mizuho were faring better than he.

-- -- -- -- --

Luin was enjoying its first sunny day after almost a month of overcast skies and rain. The light seemed to melt away all the troubles of the past weeks and grant the largest of the three refugee camps a very welcome opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves. From her high vantage point on top of the inn Raine could see for miles across the flat grasslands, but her focus was much closer. She watched as groups of refugees moved about the tent city, taking advantage of the good weather to play with their children and socialize for the first time in days. Some people had brought out an assortment of musical instruments and off in the distance several brightly-colored kites floated through the sky, swooping dramatically with each new gust of wind.

Even if it was only a temporary reprieve, Raine was glad to see the life return to these people. Humans and half-elves alike, many of whom had been her patients in the not-so-distant past; these were people she had only seen suffer before, but seeing them now... Watching them smiling and having fun warmed Raine's heart. This was the reason she was a healer.

"Professor, there you are! What are you doing up here on the roof?" Raine looked back over her shoulder to see Colette floating a few inches above the shingles, her wings fluttering lazily behind her.

"I'm just enjoying the sun while it lasts. Am I needed somewhere?"

"Oh, no." Colette dismissed her wings and walked down the gently sloping roof, taking a seat next to Raine. "I just wanted to ask you about Lloyd. I'm worried about him. It's been a week since he left for Flanoir and we still haven't heard anything from him. Do you think he might be in trouble?"

Raine paused, collecting her thoughts before answering. She had been quite worried about her student as well. The blizzard that cut Flanoir off from the rest of the world was exceptionally fierce; when she first heard that Sheena sent Lloyd off to brave the storm alone, Raine's immediate impulse was to jump on a Rheaird, fly to New Mizuho, and... Inform the new chieftain of her error. Fortunately for Sheena, Raine couldn't abandon her patients, so the summoner escaped her wrath, but only narrowly. And now after a week of waiting... Raine sighed, there wasn't much she could do except keep an optimistic attitude and believe in Lloyd.

"I'm sure he's fine." She said at last. "Lloyd is resourceful and strong enough to take care of himself." Colette nodded, but didn't look convinced. "Don't forget, he also has the Eternal Sword with him. No matter what dangers he may face in Flanoir, I doubt they can stand up to that sort of power. Lloyd will be all right, we just have to trust in him." Colette hesitated, then smiled.

"You're right, Professor. Everything will turn out okay, just like before."

Raine returned her smile and looked back out over the city, watching the kites soar on the breeze and tried to banish all the negative thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to accidentally upset Colette again by seeming so tense. Still...

_'Lloyd, be safe...'_

-- -- -- -- --

It took several centuries for it to happen, but eventually Yuan had grown accustomed to saving the world from behind a desk instead of on the field of battle with a weapon in hand. He was at it once again, directing his Renegades and volunteer forces in rebuilding the cities demolished by the recent disasters. It was tiring work, even in the Flanoir Base half a world away, made worse by the inclement weather and the many little issues that added up to one giant headache. One of the most pressing crisises was that the recovery team he sent to Altamira to salvage valuable materials was late, very late.

They were late and being behind schedule, even by a half hour, meant the outgoing shipments would be delayed as well and then, without the fresh building materials they required, at least half of the reconstruction projects would grind to a halt. If the projects stopped, then a new timetable would have to be drafted and doing that made Yuan want to tear his hair out. He was right on the verge of doing so when the radio transmitter on his desk let out a burst of static, followed by the voice of the officer in command of the exceedingly late delivery. It gave Yuan a sort of malicious pleasure to hear that the officer sounded distressed.

"Lord Yuan, my men and I-!"

"Had better have a convincing explanation for why you are so inexcusably late!" Yuan could hear the officer gulp.

"We found a person as we were flying over the Otherworldly Gate. We believe it's Lloyd Irving."

Instead of berating the officer again, as he had been planning, Yuan fell silent. Lloyd? What was he doing at the Gate? He was supposed to be in Flanoir...

"I see. Let me speak with him."

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible, Sir..." A sour feeling started to twist in Yuan's stomach. Something was wrong. "He was unconscious when we found him and he's in bad shape. I'm- I'm not sure if he'll live long enough to make it back to base."

All thoughts of vengeance and timetables vanished from Yuan's mind, replaced by one question: What the hell happened? None of this was right. What could possibly be dangerous enough to put Lloyd, the one who'd beaten Mithos, in critical condition? He needed to find out what was going on immediately and only Lloyd could tell him. Yuan knew he wasn't a genius healer like Martel or Raine, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. If he could just stabilize Lloyd until they reached the base, then they could throw him in a Refresher and all would be well. If it was to work, he would have to hurry.

"Lord Yuan? Are you there, Sir? What are you orders?"

"Give me your current coordinates, then continue on a straight path to base. I'll meet you en route."

-- -- -- -- --

Thanks to an efficient staff of custodial Raybits, the infirmary was practically spotless. Aside from some dull reddish stains that still lingered inside the Refresher, there was nothing but the sheet-covered form of Lloyd Irving lying on the operating table to suggest something had happened in the room recently. Not a single hint that every medic and mage with a First Aid spell the Renegades had, even Yuan himself, had frantically worked to resuscitate and heal the boy after he stopped breathing on the way to the base.

Yuan couldn't believe that even after he poured well over half of his own considerably large mana stores into Lloyd, the boy still insisted on dying. And worse, dying without telling him what happened! Lloyd did murmur some delirious last words, but Yuan doubted they meant anything.

He crossed his arms and heaved a sigh. Remarkable... Whether it was an Exsphere or information it seemed Lloyd would never give him what he wanted. And now, Yuan supposed, the duty of informing next of kin fell to him. Certainly not a task he was looking forward to...

-- -- -- -- --

He jammed down on the Rheaird's throttle, pushing it faster than he'd ever flown before to get out of the storm. While it was calmer than the almost impassible blizzard he had to navigate before, flying in the snow still wasn't fun. If it wasn't for the heavy parka and snow pants the Mayor of Flanoir lent him, Lloyd was sure he would have frozen solid days ago while fixing the city's radio antenna. He winced slightly at the memory. That job was such a hassle...

What happened was the blizzard knocked the city's radio antenna down, disrupting the transmissions. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal normally, but the antenna was so cold that the brittle steel shattered when it fell off the roof of the inn, turning a task that would have taken a few hours to fix into a major ordeal. Lloyd ended up having to build an entirely new antenna from random bits of scrap metal and the remains of the old one, using nothing but the few tools he managed to convince the jeweler to let him borrow, then go mount it back on the inn's roof in the freezing cold. It was a project that Lloyd was sure even Dirk would find daunting. He definitely didn't want to do it again anytime soon.

As he cleared the glacier-capped mountains on the edge of the tundra, Lloyd cut his speed. Racing at full throttle through the maze of tiny rock islands that surrounded Flanoir was always a bad idea, especially in weather with such low visibility. Everyone was probably worried sick after how long he'd been gone, he didn't want to upset them more by crashing his Rheaird. Besides, the snow was slowly letting up the further south he flew. It wasn't getting any warmer though. In fact, the temperature seemed like it was dropping off as the snow thinned out. Even with his warm clothes, Lloyd's fingers were numb and his teeth were starting to chatter.

_'Maybe', _he thought, _'it would be a good idea to find somewhere to go inside and thaw out for a while.'_

-- -- -- -- --

Finding the Renegade base in the snow wasn't easy, mostly because after the worlds were reunited Yuan turned off the huge, shining dimensional transfer field that Lloyd had always used as a beacon, but despite the difficulties he made it. Coasting to a stop in the heated hangar, Lloyd hopped from the vehicle, pulled off his ice-encrusted polar gear, laid it over the seat of his Rheaird, and had a look around.

The hangar was eerily quiet. He knew it was because most of the Renegades were spread out around the world working on reconstruction projects, but the absence of the techs and mechanics that were usually in the hangar still gave Lloyd the creeps. He had never seen the place so abandoned. Parked on the other side of the hangar was another oddity. Seven Rheairds that looked just like- No, they were the ones his friends drove, with the dents and scratches in the paintjobs from when they crashed on Mt. Fooji and everything. What were the others doing up here? A tinge of nervousness crawled its way up Lloyd's spine. Did something happen while he was away?

Lloyd jogged further into the hangar, heading for the heavy steel and magitechnology door that lead into the base. Locked, of course. He punched the "Guest" code that Yuan gave everyone into the security keypad and waited for the door to slide open. The view from the base's highest level was impressive, as always, but looking down at the greenish, empty halls Lloyd couldn't help but worry. How he was going to find everyone?

Since the Renegades weren't enemies anymore he didn't have to hide from guards, fight security robots, work around traps, or steal those stupid keycards to go where he wanted. It was cool to have practically free reign of the place, but then it also meant that the Renegades wouldn't come to catch him and bring him to Yuan like they used to... Which would have actually been convenient for once. The base was definitely designed with the Desian aesthetic of "unreasonably big and convoluted" in mind. Lloyd had always needed a map just to find the bathroom...

As he stepped onto the lift outside the hangar, Lloyd ran through a checklist of places his friends could be. They weren't in the hangar, hopefully weren't in the infirmary, and probably weren't in any of those weird little rooms that had nothing but chests in them either... What were those used for anyway? He would have to ask about that sometime. Maybe they were in Yuan's office, that would make sense. And it was one of the few places in the base he knew how to find.

When the lift touched down, Lloyd hopped off and headed for the second one that would take him to ground level. If he remembered correctly, he needed to work his way through all those halls filled with laser beam traps- Traps which Lloyd was very glad to know would now automatically shut off when he approached and let him pass- Then he needed to go past the control room in the central chamber and down the western hall. He hurried down the familiar path, wracking his brain for any reason why everyone would be in the base. Something had to have happened, but what the hell was it?

The door to Yuan's office, first one on the right, stood before him. At least Lloyd hoped that's whose door it was. If not, he didn't know where he'd go. Like every other door in the base, it slid open as he walked up to it, revealing a room furnished almost identically to its counterpart in Triet. The same right down to the bookshelves and potted plants. Yuan's office, he made it! Even better, everyone was inside with Yuan, just like he guessed they would be. From what he could see, everyone was a little disheveled, but it looked like they were all okay. All of them here, nobody hurt... What a relief.

"Hey guys, what're you all doing here? I hope you weren't too worried about me." Everyone in the room froze, their hushed conversation coming to an abrupt end. The expressions of shock and horror on his friends' faces startled Lloyd as much as his presence seemed to have spooked them. "Ah... Why are you guys staring at me like that?" No response. "Seriously guys, what's wrong-? Whoa!" Lloyd leapt to the right, narrowly dodging the blast of brilliant blue mana that hit the office door, right where Lloyd's heart would have been. "What are you doing, Yuan?!"

"Just who the hell are you?" Yuan snarled from behind his desk, another sphere of mana swirling in his palm, ready to be fired.

"It's me, Lloyd!" Lloyd slowly sidled closer to Regal and Zelos. He would need their help if Yuan decided he was mad enough to start an all-out attack, not that Lloyd had any idea what the seraph was mad about. There was no way Yuan really didn't recognize him. Maybe it was something else- The slithering sound of a blade being drawn, followed by a swift arm lock that forced Lloyd down onto one knee and a cool touch of steel on his neck immediately wrenched his attention from Yuan to the two warriors he was counting on to back him up.

"You're Lloyd? You don't really expect us to believe that, do you?" Lloyd turned his head to see it truly was Zelos holding a sword to his throat. The memory of the ex-Chosen, wings out and sword drawn, mocking him and the others in the Tower of Salvation flashed through Lloyd's mind. Zelos... Could he be betraying him again? No, that couldn't be it! Regal would never help him do that.

"You can't be Lloyd." Presea? No, not her too. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her next to Genis, axe held ready at her side.

"How dare you use that name, imposter!" Twisting around as best he could, Lloyd looked back over his shoulder to find Regal wearing the deepest scowl he'd ever seen. Lloyd couldn't remember his friend ever wearing a more severe expression, not even when they fought Vharley. However, Lloyd didn't think Regal actually planned on breaking his arm. He was just holding it- And the rest of the body attached to it- at bay, but it sure felt like if he wanted to break it, he could. What in the world was going on? What had gotten into them?

"Imposter? Regal, you aren't making any sense! It's me! I'm me! Who else would I be?" Lloyd turned his head, staring across the room to where the rest of his friends stood watching. Why hadn't they stepped in to stop this yet? "Somebody tell them to let me go!" None of them moved. He waited for one of them to do something, to speak up for him like they always did before on their journey, but they all stayed quiet. The nervousness he felt in the hangar was back, stronger, curling into a knot and nestling down in his chest. Why weren't they saying anything?

"Professor? Genis?" Neither half-elf moved or even looked at him. "Come on guys, this- This isn't funny." Before Lloyd only sounded confused and surprised, but now his words carried an edge of desperation too. "Colette?" She looked like she was crying, but didn't respond either. "Sheena, please, help me out here!"

Sheena met his gaze, her eyes glistening, on the verge of tears as well, and started to take a step towards him; but when she stopped herself and silently shook her head no, Lloyd felt what vague hope he had trickle away. He didn't know why his friends were acting this way, or what they planned to do, but it looked like they weren't going to help him.

Why not?!

There was a sword at his throat! Lloyd was very aware that in his position, just a twitch of Zelos' wrist would be enough to kill him. If it was someone else holding the sword, Kvar or Pronyma or Forcystus, would they still be acting this way? Would they still not care? Maybe that would have convinced them to try and save him, but... After everything they'd been through together, all the times he defended them, spoke up for each of them and fought when words weren't enough... Why weren't they willing to do the same for him?

He didn't want to believe it. Refused to believe it. Lloyd knew his friends would never betray him, never! There had to be some explanation, but even so he could still feel the bitterness and despair he usually associated with the Tower of Salvation creeping into his heart, only this time there was no one to bear the burden with him. Hanging his head as much as he could around Zelos' blade, Lloyd didn't bother to try hiding the pain in his voice.

"Why are you doing this? D-Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Please, just talk to me!" Lloyd lifted his head and stared directly at Raine. Even if appealing to her didn't work before, he still had to try. The Professor was always the cool, logical voice of reason in their group. If anyone would realize what they were doing and snap out of it, it would be her.

This time Raine looked up, practically radiating regret. The fact that she even acknowledged him brought back a tiny glow of Lloyd's hope. From what he could read in her face and posture, she was nearing the end of a fierce internal debate.

"Regal, Zelos... Let him go." Those five simple words made Lloyd's heart leap. He knew it, his friends wouldn't really betray him! Once his arm was released and the sword removed, Lloyd stood and rubbed his sore shoulder. "I think we may have made a mistake. This Lloyd might be the real one."

The real one? This Lloyd? What was she talking about? Glancing around the room at his friends' faces Lloyd saw that while they all looked relieved at Raine's proclamation, they still had their suspicions. Especially Yuan. Poor Colette seemed just as confused as he was.

"There's one way to be certain that this is the real Lloyd.' Raine crossed her arms in front of her and faced Lloyd. "Show us your wings. No imposter could do that."

"Okay..." Cool as they were, his wings- Mithos' wings, weren't something Lloyd used often. He knew how to use them, Colette taught him to fly and everything, but they were a huge drain on his mana and tired him out too fast to fly very far. They attracted a lot of attention too, so he mostly kept them in reserve. This, he realized, would be the first time he used them in months.

Focusing on his Exsphere and the essence of Mithos' Cruxis Crystal still lingering inside it, Lloyd could feel the weird oozing sensation of mana welling up between his shoulder blades as his wings unfurled with a soft chime; flapping slowly behind him as he hovered a few inches off the ground. Once he set back down there was a moment of absolute silence before the whirlwind of apologies hit. Almost faster than he could register Colette, Genis, Sheena, and, to his surprise, Presea raced across the room and- The girls at least- Wrapped Lloyd in a rib-bruising group hug; all the while telling him how they couldn't believe it was really him, how happy they were he was alive, how sorry they were about before... It was it overwhelming. Lloyd blinked back a few tears and tried to swallow the knot in his throat as everything went back to the way it was supposed to be.

The other four weren't as physical in their reactions, but Lloyd could tell they were just as relieved. Raine smiled, holding a hand over her heart as if the whole ordeal tired her out and she was trying to catch her breath. Regal pulled an apple gel out of his pocket; intending to give it to Lloyd, for his no doubt aching arm, along with a full apology after he was released from his hug. Yuan dismissed the ball of mana he had been carefully aiming at Lloyd's head and stepped out from behind his desk. The fact that he didn't look grumpy or smug for once was a little disturbing... And Zelos crossed his arms and muttered a weird little phrase he always said whenever Lloyd used his wings around him. Something about size and how you use them... Lloyd never quite understood what that saying was all about, and he still didn't, but hearing it meant that Zelos must be back to his old self.

Through it all, Lloyd tried not to let his train of thought be diverted. While it was comforting to know his friends had regained their senses, there was still one detail he was unclear on...

"I-I'm glad to see you guys too, but will someone please tell me what's going on?!" The newly happy atmosphere started to deflate, letting some of the previous tension seep back into the room. "You were talking about imposters before... Does this have something to do with that group that was impersonating us before, during the Journey of Regeneration?"

"No." Raine's voice sounded oddly strained and Lloyd recognized her almost brooding expression as the familiar one she always wore while trying to find the best way to explain a difficult concept. "Lloyd, come with us to the infirmary. There's something you need to see."

-- -- -- -- --

Flying usually worked to clear Lloyd's head, but not even the gentle hum of the Rheaird's engine could take him mind off that- That thing Raine had in the Wing Pack. What was it? The Professor said something about it being a replica, but Lloyd had been too distracted to pay attention. When he first saw it lying on the operating table back in infirmary at the Renegade Base, his immediate thought was "That's me." It looked exactly like him, right down to the tiny fading scars on his fingers. Marks Lloyd still had from when he first learned to carve as a kid and occasionally slipped with the knife. It was wearing the same clothes as he was too. They were torn and shredded in places, but they still looked like they were made from Dirk's pattern... The thing even smelled like he did! And according to Yuan, it had a mana signature identical to Lloyd's as well as an Exsphere that matched the properties of his Angelus Project Exsphere.

Lloyd's brain felt like it was about to explode. The only thing keeping him from banging his head on his Rheaird's controls was the fact that doing so would honk the horn and startle everyone else. They were worried about him enough already. Lloyd pretended he didn't notice his friends casting quick glances between him and Raine, or more accurately Raine's Wing Pack, as they flew. He didn't blame them at all. If something like this happened to Genis or Colette, or even Yuan, Lloyd knew he would be concerned about how they were handling the situation too.

He didn't blame them for attacking him back at the base either. How could he? They thought he was dead, they even had his "corpse" to prove it, then he just walked in, alive... That thing was so similar to him, seeing it lying there... Lloyd shuddered. It was horrible, but that thing was almost enough to convince him that he might be a ghost.

But he wasn't! He wasn't. Lloyd shook his head. He was alive and whatever that thing was, it wasn't him.

Right?

That thing had the same mana signature as him, even though everyone's signature was supposed to be unique... Did that mean it actually-? No. He was him and as long as he was him there couldn't be another him running around. There could only be one him and he was it! Just thinking about the alternatives was starting to give him a headache. Good thing they were almost to Heimdall. Lloyd took a deep breath and tried to think about something, anything, other than his dead doppelganger.

Once they got to Heimdall they could ask Origin about it. Origin would know, it was his job as Lord of the Summon Spirits to keep track of that sort of thing. Until then, worrying about exactly what that thing was and how it got to the Otherworldly Gate would only make him more confused and paranoid than he already was. Lloyd knew that, but he still couldn't stop peeking at the Wing Pack strapped onto the back of Raine's Rheaird.

Maybe, he thought, he could just rest his head on his Rheaird's controls. That probably wouldn't set off the horn... He hoped they reached Heimdall soon.

-- -- -- -- --

Deep in the heart of Torent Forest, Origin's clearing was peaceful. Nothing disturbed the cool, misty air. It was calm. Almost eerily calm. The normal sounds of birds calling back and forth across the canopy and small creatures rustling around in the underbrush were absent. Even the roars of monsters that usually echoed for miles through the trees were missing.

The party fanned out as they approached the moss and lichen-encrusted slab of stone that marked Origin's seal. Colette and Presea placed the stretcher carrying Lloyd's doppelganger on the ground in the middle of the clearing then moved back to join the rest of the group as they waited for Origin to appear.

"Lloyd. Sheena. You who possess the right of the pact, why have you come here?" Origin's voice preceded him, echoing through the clearing as he materialized in front of them.

"We wanted to ask you about this." Lloyd gingerly pulled back the sheet covering the body to reveal his double's face. Looking at it still creeped him out, a lot, but this was what they were there for. "Who or what is this thing, and why does it look like me?"

"Please Origin, what's going on here?" Sheena asked. "If anyone can tell us, it's you."

Origin scrutinized the half-elves and humans gathered at his seal, his gaze lingering the longest on the two Lloyds. Origin's attitude, downtrodden and seemingly on the edge of the despair he was mired in when they first met him, suggested that he did indeed know what was wrong and that it was exceptionally bad.

"I had hoped to keep this from all of you a little longer, but I see it is not to be..." Origin's voice was low, resigned. "Treat that body with care. The remains of a hero like Lloyd Irving deserve respect." Lloyd leapt back, away from the body and summon as if Origin's words attacked him.

"W-What do you mean? Lloyd could feel his heart racing in his chest. That wasn't the answer he wanted. "Origin, are you saying...?" Raine broke into the conversation, saving Lloyd from having to ask that horrible question himself.

"How can this," she gestured to the body, "be Lloyd when Lloyd is standing right here, alive and well?" Origin paused again, looking as if he had all the answers but was undecided on whether he wanted to give them away.

"They are both Lloyd, but not the same Lloyd... Many things have changed during the millennia I was sealed away, but one thing has not. This world that we call our home is not the only one. It is but one of many, many others. There are countless existences, branching and twisting past each other, giving rise to more realities, forever."

"Many worlds..." Yuan murmured to himself. That sounded familiar, maybe it was related. "When the dimensional transfer system was first set up for Rheaird travel between the two worlds, my men found multiple dimensional barriers beyond the one that separated Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, but they were massive. Too strong for us to breach. Origin, these other worlds, could they actually be different dimensions?" Origin bowed his head.

"I see I will have to start from the beginning... 'Dimension,' I suppose, is an adequate way to describe these other realities, but it is not that simple."

The clearing around them began to fade. Lush forest melting away into a dark, depthless void of inky black. Where Origin's stone monument was just moments before stood a massive web of softly glowing lines, sprouting from a single point in the darkness and forking apart in a dizzying number of paths that grew more slender and delicate the further they split from the thick pillar of light in the center. Growing at the tips of the thinnest strands were tiny bud-like bulbs that pulsed in brilliant shades of blues, purples, and bloody reds; making the entire web shimmer in a staggered rhythm.

"That- That looks like a giant tree!" Genis craned his head back, trying to look all the way up to the top of the web that stretched hundreds of feet above them. "Wow... It's got to be even taller than Mt. Fooji!"

"This tree is a map of sorts, for those who can read it, of all the dimensions that currently exist." Origin turned his back on the party to stare up at the glowing tree as well. "Each branch and twig represents the path of an individual dimension as it diverges from the trunk, the primordial world that was in the beginning of time. It is in a state of constant flux, changing so quickly that no one, not even I, can make perfect sense of it. Every time something happens in a world, an important choice is made or an event takes place, new dimensions are created to accommodate every possible outcome. Watch..."

A magic circle appeared under the party, warping them from the base of the map up to a cluster of branches near the lower edge of the crown.

"This branch is the one our own world exists in." The one Origin indicated was different from the others around it. The entire limb's glow was dulling, visibly growing dimmer as it grew further from the trunk. Compared to the brightness of the neighboring branches, their own seemed like a dark blight on the map. If Origin noticed, he made no sign of it as he pointed to a specific spot near the end of the branch; a fork where two slender twigs split apart, each bearing an intensely red bud. "This fork is the result of my choice to divulge this information to you. In doing so I created two more worlds, one where you know and one where you are still ignorant. They differ only in that single detail, but it is still enough to alter their courses and create a new reality."

"Fascinating!" There was a slightly manic lilt in Raine's voice, enough to signal the well-trained ear that she was just shy of a full-force ruin-mode rampage. Genis and Yuan, who were standing on either side of her, started edging away as subtly as possible. "If that's true, it means there would be versions of us in that other world that are effectively identical to us as we are now." She paused, glancing at the body that still lay next to Lloyd. "Is that what this body is then, a Lloyd Irving from one of these other dimensions?" Origin nodded.

"So he really is me..." Lloyd crouched down next to the body. "But he's a different me, so he's only kind of me? This is so weird."

"But Lloyd, you're still you too!" Genis put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Just like you're always saying, right?"

"Yeah, just think of this guy as the dead twin bro you never knew you had!" Zelos grinned. He could practically see the sweat drop forming on Lloyd's forehead.

"That doesn't really help, but okay. Thanks guys-" A flash of pink out of the corner of his eye grabbed Lloyd's attention. Colette was hovering in front of their world's branch, taking a closer look.

"This branch... It looks sick. Origin, what's wrong with it? Why isn't it glowing like the others?"

The summon hesitated once again, deciding whether or not he should speak. Behind him the party could see the bud that represented their world flare once, then fork yet again into three new twigs, each bearing a new red bud and even dimmer than the branch before it.

"I tell you this only because you are already directly involved. This tree represents order, the delicate balance of mana shared between all the worlds there are. Each of these worlds has a set destiny, some ultimate goal it reaches towards from the moment it is created and cannot stray from. Our branch is darkening because our dimension's mana has fallen further and further out of that balance ever since our world deviated from its fate.

"This world was supposed to have ended with the Kharlan War and the death of the first Great Tree; to spiral though space, a blasted planet devoid of life, for all eternity. That was its destiny. Mithos managed to preserve it for four millennia by abusing my power and you, Lloyd, temporarily saved it by reviving the Great Tree once more, but both of your efforts have only caused more damage." Lloyd just shook his head.

"That can't be right. The Great Tree is what's keeping the world alive."

"Yeah." Genis spoke up, falling into his habitual I-know-what-I'm-talking-about stance as he stared up at Origin. "We'll never run out of mana now. There's been so much in the air since the Great Seed sprouted that it's hard to breathe!"

"And you don't find that odd?" Origin asked.

"W-Well, a little." Genis' voice shook slightly. It was easier to be brave when the Lord of the Summon Spirits wasn't focusing all his attention directly at you. "But that's what the Great Tree is supposed to do, right? Make mana."

"Right now the Great Tree is only a sapling. It is unable to produce the high levels of mana our world requires to survive and will be unable for years, possibly even decades, to come. The abundance of mana you are sensing is being siphoned, stolen, from other worlds to support our current existence. It is an unnatural process caused by your actions in saving this world that is warping realities and wreaking havoc throughout the rest of the dimensions.

"Just look, the imbalance is not contained to our world's branch alone. It's spreading, corrupting other dimensions and wrenching them from their own destinies before our eyes." It wasn't until Origin mentioned it that the party noticed. The change in intensity was so gradual it was difficult to see, but other branches around their own were starting to dim as well, their buds shifting from blue to purple to red as they became unbalanced. All over the tree, sections of branches were going out. None were as dark as their own diseased branch, but it was more than enough to mottle the evenly glowing tree they saw when they first arrived. Origin was right; the imbalance was spreading alarmingly fast. "If the mana balance of those worlds is not restored, they will deplete their mana and cease to exist, just as we will."

"Well that's not good." Zelos' astute observation earned an 'hmph' of agreement from Regal. "But seriously, I thought we were done with all this 'vying for mana' crap when we reunited the worlds."

"What can we do to fix this chaos we've created? There must be something." Regal's tone suggested that he was already pondering ways he could bring his Presidently powers to bear on the problem.

"Another journey..." Presea muttered, quietly voicing what everyone else was thinking.

"If we really caused all this, then we can't just let those other worlds die in our place." Sheena looked Origin in the eye as the black void around them pulled back to reveal the sunlit Torent Forest once more. "How can we bring back the balance, Origin?"

"There is nothing we can do." The summon knew he had mere seconds before protests started flying, especially from Lloyd. He looked furious.

"What do you mean there's nothing we can do? You can't just tell us to give up, not when the lives of entire worlds are at stake!"

"The only way to save the other dimensions is for our own, the source of the imbalance, to die. When we are no longer consuming mana and causing disturbances, everything will go back to normal in the other dimensions. That is how balance is naturally maintained among worlds. This world is headed on a self-destructive path, regardless of what actions we take. The severe storms and disasters are proof of that." A pressure slowly settled over the clearing, an aching resignation transformed into physical force that radiated from Origin, growing stronger with each word. "Once our world rips itself apart, the mana imbalance will be gone and at least the other worlds will live on."

"No, I refuse to accept that!" Lloyd unfurled his wings and kicked off the ground, darting up to hover face to face with the despairing summon. "Origin, you agreed with me when I said no one should have to be sacrificed or suffer for the sake of others. Everyone deserves the right to live! That worked for Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, why can't it work for entire dimensions too?"

"This is different." Origin leveled a resigned stare at Lloyd and Lloyd glared right back. He was perhaps the only mortal brave or stupid enough to do so.

"No, it's not!" Lloyd's clenched his fists. He would deny Origin's fatalistic plan to just sit and wait for the end no matter what. If he could just convince him it was wrong, that there was a chance... "There has to be some way to save all the dimensions. They were in balance before, right? There's no reason why we can't set them back without destroying ourselves in the process!" For the briefest of moments Lloyd swore he saw a slight flicker of hope on Origin's face, but if so it was crushed too quickly to be sure.

"I wish that were true, Lloyd. I want so badly to believe in your ideals as I did before, but it is simply not possible."

"Why are you so set on dying!?"

Set on dying? Origin narrowed his eyes. He knew Lloyd could be naive and occasionally oversimplify what he heard, but did the boy really think he was looking forward to the apocalypse? To dying?! Never! Minutes, that was how long Lloyd had known about the existence of other dimensions. He had no concept, no way of imagining what the end of a world truly meant. Origin did. Complete and utter annihilation. He had seen it happen to other worlds before; their substance destroyed, converted to mana and absorbed into other dimensions in the web. Hideous and inevitable. The idea that he would enjoy such a thing- The destruction of all elves, humans, half-elves, dwarves, summon spirits, and every other living thing on the planet- was repulsive! Origin unfolded his arms, freeing all four hands as if he intended to summon his lances.

"You know nothing!" Origin roared. Lloyd jerked backwards, startled, but not relinquishing his glare. "Death is not something I am eagerly awaiting. If it were in my power to avert our fate once more, believe me, it would already be done and none of you would be standing before me asking these important, but ultimately pointless questions. But this is beyond even my abilities."

"You can say that all you want,"Lloyd shouted back, "but I still won't believe it!"

"Origin!" The strict, authoritative tone of Raine's 'Professor' voice brought the aerial shouting match to an abrupt halt. Lloyd flinched, remembering all the times flying chalk and blackboard erasers had followed the sound of that voice, as he flapped his wings and swiveled in midair to face Raine. "Lloyd is right. There may be a way to save all the dimensions, ourselves included." Origin gave her a skeptical look, but listened. Raine, unlike Lloyd, wasn't one to speak rashly.

"I understand that our world is the root of these problems, but it seems the real issue here is that other dimensions are also being swayed from their paths because of our influence. While we may not be able to solve the major cause of the imbalance here in our own world, there must be dimensions out there that aren't as radically warped as ours. Dimensions where we could set things right and make a difference, if we could only reach them.

"If I'm correct, then by fixing smaller imbalances in other dimensions we could, in theory, restore them to a balanced state and delay the necessity of our own dimension's destruction. If we're able to delay long enough, the Great Tree will begin producing enough mana to sustain us and this issue of mana siphoning and imbalance will be laid to rest forever."

Silence. Lloyd floated to the ground and dismissed his wings, managing only a weak "Wow, Professor..." as he stared at Raine in awe. Origin, in a similar condition, said nothing as he focused on the idea. This plan... The theory was sound, though it wouldn't be easy. It was what he had been searching for himself ever since he saw their branch begin to dull, he'd just been looking in the wrong place. It was a lifeline. A chance. All they had to do was take it. The oppressive dread that filled the clearing started to lift.

"Way to go, sis!"

"That's our Raine for ya, all right."

"It... Is possible." Origin was picking up steam. "Yes, if the imbalances caused by our continued existence were countered, then there would be no need to remove us. Everything would ultimately be in balance once more." Then he did something none of the party expected. Origin smiled. "To think that you and your companions would once again restore my hope."

"So you'll help us save everyone?"

"Yes." Origin looked down at Lloyd. What an audacious human he was. To yell at him, a being who had the power to split worlds apart on a whim, then ask him for help just minutes later? Wonderfully audacious. "Our odds of success are small, but a slim chance is better than none. I will guide and aid you in traveling from world to world as best I can. You still carry the Eternal Sword, do you not? You will need it to bridge the gaps between dimensions."

"Yeah, I've got it. Kind of..." Lloyd's mind drifted to the two swords in his possession, the Material Blades Dirk and Kratos gave him. They were still imbued with the essence of the Eternal Sword. That counted, didn't it?

"Excellent. Then let us prepare for your next journey, Lloyd. There is little time to waste."

As they watched their fearless leader talk with the Lord of the Summon Spirits, the party started to get antsy. There was one detail Origin seemed to be forgetting as he focused on Lloyd: Them. Someone, Sheena thought, needs to speak up and say something before it was too late and Origin laid out all his plans. Might as well be her.

"Uh, hey. Hello? What about the rest of us?" Her words carried a heaping helping of highly caustic attitude. The sort she usually expended on Zelos when he did something to deserve it. Or did anything, really. Presea was right by her side, backing her up with a cool, determined gaze and a big axe.

"We will go with Lloyd."

"Crossing to other dimensions will not be as simple as passing through the barrier Mithos placed between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. It will take a great deal of power. Until we are certain how many people the Eternal Sword can safely transport, I think it wisest for us to only send one across the barrier at a time." A logical argument. If safety was their concern, as Origin assumed it was, then it only made sense to be cautious at first. But that didn't mean they had to be happy about it. Genis and Regal weren't.

"So Lloyd has to go alone?" The little half-elf frowned and put his hands on his hips. "What if he needs our help?"

"I don't like the idea of sending anyone off to a strange world alone."

The possibility that his friends might not accompany him wasn't something Lloyd expected, or even considered. A journey without everybody else... It definitely wouldn't be the same. Could he even do it? The journey to reunite the worlds would have ended in Triet if he had been alone. When he really stopped and thought about it, Lloyd had to admit, going to another world- An entirely different dimension on his own, with no support, no friends to fall back on when he needed them... It was absolutely terrifying.

But then what was the other option, to do nothing? That wasn't an option at all! Lloyd put on his bravest face and smiled, trying to instill a confidence in his friends that he barely felt himself. If he didn't do this, he would lose all of them. Even if he had to go alone, he still had to go.

"Don't worry so much, guys. I want you all to come with me too, but I think I'll be able to do this myself. And I'll have Origin and the Eternal Sword to help me if I get in trouble." The others didn't look the least bit convinced. "Besides, we can't all leave at once. There are people in Luin, Meltokio, and New Mizuho who still need your help." They seemed to accept his argument, grudgingly. His friends' reluctance to let him go brought a wider smile to Lloyd's face, a genuine one this time. "And there's got to be somebody left here in our world to give me a funeral, right?"

"Don't even joke about that, Lloyd!"

It was one of those instances where Lloyd only realized the ambiguous nature of what he said until well after he had already said it and the Professor was already knocking him over the head.

"I-I meant that me! Not me-me. Him!" Lloyd explained quickly, desperately pointing down at the other Lloyd's body.

"Oh!" Raine promptly stopped shaking him and let go of the front of Lloyd's shirt, looking very embarrassed as he scrambled to get his feet back under him. "O-Of course."

"Be careful Lloyd!" The worried smile on Colette's face, another reminder of what he was about to do, nearly made him falter. "Promise me you'll be careful and you'll come right back after you've saved everybody, okay?" It took all Lloyd's willpower to keep his confident mask up.

"Hehe. Of course I will! I'll be back before you even miss me, promise." He flashed her a grin and a quick thumbs up before turning to face his new guide, the Lord of the Summon Spirits. "Okay Origin, where do we start?"

"We'll need to use the Eternal Sword; produce it and we will go. I already have our first destination in mind. It is a world not far from this one and in dire need of help." Origin said. Lloyd drew the two glowing blades given to him by his two fathers from their sheathes and glanced over their translucent surfaces, momentarily letting his imagination run down memory lane. Then, with a determined expression, Lloyd held the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword up. The two blades flashed and in their place the Eternal Sword appeared. The long purple blade, radiating power like it was breathing, hummed as Lloyd gripped its hilt. He brought the sword down in front of him, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"All right, here goes. Eternal Sword," Lloyd said. "Take me to that dimension Origin's thinking of." Without a whisper of sound or wave of air, Lloyd vanished

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AN: AND THE REST OF THE EXPOSITION GOES IN THE NEXT CHAPTER RAWR!

But seriously, everything starts in earnest in our next chapter which... We haven't decided on what or whose it will be yet, but it will be _fantastic_. Promise. Until next time, happy reading!

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	2. Arc 1, Chapter 1: Search for the Chosen

Okay, let's get this thing rolling. Disclaimers, disclaimers… As always, this fic belongs to the Sno Phoenix Collaboration, and Namco owns Tales of Symphonia, its locations, and its beloved characters that we happen to write about. Anyone who reproduces this story or chapter (written by me, Sage) will be reported to FFN officials. Now then, enjoy reading the chapter!

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Arc 1 Chapter 1: Search of the Chosen

Emptiness. Nothingness. It was a strange feeling, Lloyd figured. Or perhaps, there was no feeling at all. Just a strange disturbance that was not really there. All he knew was that it was there, all around him. He felt like he was free falling for all eternity. Everything was pitch black. He forgot if his eyes were open or not, though he figured that it did not matter, as darkness was around him regardless.

Warmth. He suddenly felt the warmth of the sun and opened his eyes. The colors were almost blinding from seeing nothing but a null void for who knows how long. After his eyes adjusted, he saw a city a little ways down the horizon. Its concrete walls surrounded the entire city. "That's… Meltokio. What am I doing here?"

'_Pact-Maker… Lloyd…'_ Lloyd jumped at the sound of the voice, not knowing where it was coming from. _'Pact… maker… Lloyd… Listen carefully for I… have little time to explain…' _

'_Origin? Why do you sound so fuzzy? Can you hear me? Origin!"_ Lloyd shouted in his head, hoping to get a response from Origin. He stomped his foot angrily when he did not hear him again. Lloyd was confused; he was in the region just outside of Meltokio. Was that a mistake?

'_Lloyd… Head to… the city… the Chosen… Go… The problem is-'_ Origin's voice vanished, unable to finish what he was trying to say.

'_Origin! Blast it!' _ Lloyd thought, kicking the ground as hard as he could. He found a pebble on the ground and in a fit of annoyed rage picked it up and threw it. Then he spotted a larger boulder and decided to sit on it for a while, trying to clear his mind – something that Kratos- no, Dad told him to do whenever he was frustrated. Lloyd placed his hands onto his face, rubbing it gently. _'Come on, Lloyd. You were sent out to Meltokio, there has to be some reason for it.'_ he told himself, nodding his head absent-mindedly in agreement.

"Now then, what is it that I need to figure out?" Lloyd asked himself a loud. He looked over to the city, a light gasp escaping his open mouth. His eyes were widened in shock; he would have smacked himself for being so naïve. "Origin said to go to the city. Maybe I'll find some clues there." he said to himself, standing up. He nodded his head reassuringly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Right. Let's go then." he said, starting his trek to Meltokio.

Lloyd spotted the road beside him, preferring instead to walk in the grass; not only was it faster, but it was a reminder of his adventures with the others. They always walked in the grass, making sure they were close to the road in case they got lost. He wondered where they all were – he was half-expecting one of them to pop out of nowhere. "Everything looks exactly the same. Is this still my dimension, or am I really in a new one?" he asked himself, looking around and trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.

He sighed to himself when he found nothing. He eventually arrived through the gates of Meltokio, stopping in front of the guards like he always had before. He nodded his head to the guards. "Welcome to Meltokio, Sir." The guard on the left said, straightening on lance. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks." Lloyd said, passing through the gates. "I should get a room for the night…" he decided, heading for the inn. He had no trouble finding the inn – considering that it was in the same location as it usually was – and sighed. He walked in and headed for the counter. "Are there any rooms open? If so, I would like a room please." he said, pulling some gald out of his pocket. He smiled to himself; he was so glad that when the group split off, they split all the gald they earned.

The Inn Keeper nodded her head, turning around and walking to the shelves for a key. She then returned to the counter and placed the key onto the counter, taking the gald in the process. "Please sign your name into the guest registry." she said as she placed the gald into the cash register.

Lloyd paused for a moment. First and last name, right? That was going to be a problem, he thought. He did not want to choose one over the other, yet he did not want to use both at the same time. That would be ridiculous. _'Calm down, Lloyd. It's just a name, right? Let's just see what I write down and see if I like it.'_ he decided, writing his name into the guest registry.

"Thank you, sir." The Inn Keeper said, pulling the guest registry from the counter and putting it underneath. "Your room is up the stairs and down the hall, Mr. Aurion. Have a pleasant stay." she said, bowing her head.

"Thank you. I'm going to go out for a bit." he said somewhat numbingly, turning around and exiting the building. So he put 'Aurion' down; so that was what it sounded like. _'I have to be careful with how I use that name though, just in case. Maybe I should switch between the two…'_ he thought, nodding his head silently to himself. Yeah, that would work. "At any rate, I should see if I can find Zelos anywhere." he muttered to himself, heading for the central plaza right before the stairs to the upper levels.

He looked up the stairs, seeing the top of the castle in the distance. That had not changed, it seemed. Ah well, he was not going to figure anything out standing here. He walked up the stairs, walking through the middle part of the city. Meltokio never seemed to stop ceasing his amazement; it always took quite some time to walk through the "Dividing Line" of Meltokio's social classes. Nope, everything was still the same. As he was looking around, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary, he accidentally ran into someone. He stopped suddenly. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't watching-" he said, turning to face the stranger. He gasped.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm not hurt at all." the woman said, adjusting her shirt and instinctively wiping it clean. "My, those are some interesting clothes. You're not from around here, are you?" she said, running her hand through her short hair, hand touching her pristine hat.

Lloyd shook his head. "N-No, I'm just traveling around." he said, looking slightly disturbed but trying to hide it. He would have raised his eyebrow, but that would have simply given him away. It was hard, and he even found his eye twitching a bit, but he managed to suppress it. She looked exactly like…!

"Oh, I see. Well then, it's nice to meet you. I'm Seles Wilder, the Chosen of Tethe'alla. I'd love to stay and chat, but my duty calls and all. Hopefully I shall catch you at a later date. What is your name before I depart?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity. This guy was an interesting character, with his clothes.

Lloyd faked a smile. "I'm Lloyd. Nice to meet you." he said. _'Man, this feels so awkward… Will it always be this weird?'_ he thought, wondering what else was different about this dimension.

"Ah, so it's Lloyd. Well then, nice to meet you. I hope we get the chance to meet again, Lloyd. Good-bye." Seles said, bowing her head slightly. She then walked past him, walking down the stairs until she reached the gates. She moved past the guards and went out of sight.

Lloyd widened his eyes in shock. "Wait, I've met Seles before, yet she didn't recognize me. This is very weird… Does that mean that my friends won't know who I am?" he gasped to himself, eyes widened in shock. "Okay, now I really have to be careful…" he shivered slightly, slightly concerned over what could happen. "Well, I guess I should get back to work then." he said, resting his hands onto his sword hilts. "Maybe I should check the castle…" he said to himself, turning around for the stone-colored building.

He ignored the stares of the upper class as he made his way to the castle. He was stopped by the guards, each crossing his lance with the other. "What is your purpose of coming to the castle?" the guard on the left said, watching Lloyd with a wary eye.

"I'd like to meet with the King-" Lloyd began, pointing to the castle when he was interrupted by the same guard.

"Do you have permission to enter the castle?"

"Well I-"

"Then I would suggest going to the Church of Martel and see the Pope and speaking with him before you come and bother with us." he said, keeping his lance in an 'X' formation with the other guard.

With a sigh, Lloyd turned around and stared at the Church of Martel. If he had to go through the Pope in order to get into the castle, so be it. But he definitely was not going to like it…


	3. Arc 1, Chapter 2: Subterfuge

From Here To Eternity

Chapter Two

Title: Subterfuge

By: I.K.A. Valian

Author's Note: Hey all. I.K.A. Valian here. Obviously, this is a Sno Phoenix production. I'd just like to say that my submission was the only submission and that sucks like Kvar turning Anna into an Exbelua. Where did everyone else go? Where are the other authors? C'mon people, this is supposed to be a group project.

Anyone else out there that has an interest in joining should so that this doesn't happen again. Now, please enjoy.

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Lloyd palmed the long wooden handles in anticipation of pulling the large ornate doors of the Church of Martel open. '_What am I going to say?_' Lloyd thought as he imagined himself walking up to the Pope and being slapped over the head for even asking to see the King. '_I have to see the King if I want to figure out what it is I have to do here._'

The doors creaked and groaned as they opened. Lloyd walked into the Church, his steps resounding like hollow taps in his ears. Having his head bent down as he contemplated different scenarios of what could happen, Lloyd failed to noticed the red headed boy, also with head bent in similar fashion, until the two of them collided.

"Ow!" Lloyd groaned. He rubbed the pained spot on his back side as he searched for the stumbling block. He found a boy about as tall as Genis is with red hair cropped to his shoulders. Lloyd reached out a hand, his apology halfway across his tongue when recognition set in.

'_It's Zelos!_'

"Watch where you're going!" bellowed a deep voice behind Lloyd. Startled by the outburst, Lloyd sprung to his feet and spun around into the brooding gaze of the Pope himself, dressed in all the regalia of his station. "You could have killed the Chosen's little brother, you fool! Now out of the way, we've an important meeting with the King!"

"I'm… sorry," Lloyd mumbled. The Pope thrust his nose into the air and turned away. Lloyd watched dumbly as the Zelos stood up and followed the Pope toward the exit. Priests pushed open the doors for the two as they walked outside.

'_I can't believe that was Zelos,_' thought Lloyd. '_He looks so young. Why would he be going to see the King though? Oh shoot!_' Lloyd's lips pressed together and his brow furrowed. "Damn it!" Lloyd said under his breath. "I just missed my chance to get in and see the King."

"Why did you need to see the King?" Lloyd turned and faced the priest standing patiently behind him. The white robes were a little too clean and flowed easily around the man's body. "I'm afraid to say that he has fallen ill and cannot see anyone right now. What could be so important that you would need to see him now?"

"I-" Lloyd paused, the words 'need to save your world' on the tip of his tongue.

'_Should I really say that?! Even I wouldn't believe me if I said that. Hmm, how about…_'

"I need to see the King about saving my village. It's a matter of life and death only he can solve."

"I'm afraid that the because the King has been ill, he won't be able to even hear your pleas for mercy let alone grant them," the priest said. The man's head lowered and he reached out a firm hand to grasp Lloyd's shoulder. The move, which was obviously an attempt to console Lloyd, only made him feel even guiltier for lying. "Please, pray to the Goddess Martel that the Pope and Sir Zelos will be successful in their attempts to bring the King back to health. I will pray as well for your village."

Lloyd bowed his head so he didn't have to look up at the priest. He didn't like lying to someone who was so earnest. It wasn't just the white lie about the village though, but having to hide his identity, being alone in a strange and familiar place at the same time, no one recognizing him, the frustration of not knowing what to do. It all added up and fed the guilt he was now feeling. Apparently the emotional show perfected his cover story because the priest squeezed his shoulder.

"Take faith, my son," the priest said, "in the Goddess Martel, anything is possible." Lloyd nodded, his lips pressed tightly together to keep himself from spilling any information that he might later regret. The priest squeezed his shoulder a final time and let go to resume his journey to the altar.

'_I didn't think this journey would be so difficult,_' Lloyd thought. '_I've got to see the King before I- No. I'm not going to give up so easily. Everyone is depending on me, so I've got to do my best. No matter how hard it is._ _If I won't be let in, then I'll have to sneak in. But I can't go through the dungeons or the front because they're both guarded. There has to be another way._'

Lloyd spotted the door standing between the rest of the church and the Pope's chambers and his eyes lit up. '_The Pope's secret entrance! I can sneak in that way. All I have to do is get past these priests._' With a wary eye on the handful of priests going about their daily tasks inside the church, Lloyd made his way across the church. A couple times he had to kneel and clasp his hands together to avoid the attention of a passing priest. Finally, Lloyd made it to the door and without anyone seeming to notice, slipped into the Pope's private chambers.

'_Alright_,' Lloyd thought, '_I'm in_!' As the thought occurred to him, Lloyd turned around and looked for a lock. He found a key sticking out of the keyhole just below the gold plated handle. With a quick spin, the locks tumblers fell into place.

"Don't need anyone interrupting me," Lloyd said. "Now, how do I open the passage?" Lloyd strode into the room. It looked exactly as when he and the others confronted the Pope over poisoning the King. "Now that I'm thinking about it," Lloyd said, "the Pope may be trying that again. Maybe the antidote in the same… place…"

Lloyd went to the Pope's large wooden desk that smelled deeply of whatever tree it was carved from and started to pull the drawers out. After pulling each drawer out, Lloyd was about to give up looking when he noticed he missed the center most drawer that was attached just above where the Pope's legs would be should he sat down. Investigation of the drawer elicited a gasp of success from Lloyd's lips. He held up the bottle filled with the milky blue antidote and smiled.

"Looks like I'll be saving the King's life. Maybe he won't ask me to explain why I'm here." Lloyd was in the middle of pocketing the antidote when a new thought occurred to him. "What if I'm not supposed to cure the King?"

Lloyd pulled the bottle out again and looked at its contents. Brown bangs flicked left and right as he shook his head. He pocketed the antidote as he turned to study the book cases lined up against the back wall.

"How can I go on a journey to save the universe if I can't save the people right in front of me?" Lloyd asked himself as he started pulling books off the shelves. After pulling off two whole shelves and littering the floor with heavy and very dusty old tomes, Lloyd found the book he was looking for. It wouldn't come off the shelf and when he pulled hard enough, Lloyd heard a click behind the book case and then a section of the wall slid away to reveal a hidden passage.

"Haha," Lloyd crowed triumphantly. "Found it."

Lloyd ignored the mess he made and quickly dashed into the passage. As soon as he cleared the wall, the hidden door slid shut again. Lloyd quickly began feeling his way through the passage that was dark, stuffy, and smelled like rotten vegetables.

The last time Lloyd stalked these narrow halls was when he and the others were chasing the Pope. Back then, he didn't have the time or the urge to study the hallway, only to catch the Pope. Now that Lloyd wasn't in too much of a rush, he began to study the passage. He mulled over how bland it was as he reached the exit and emerged into the armory. His forehead creased as he looked about in confusion.

'_That's odd_,' he thought, '_the last time we came out near the entrance to the prison. I wonder why it's different…_' Lloyd remained quiet and crouched behind a rack of spears as a clanking collection of armor walked in and grabbed a shield before it bolted back out the door. '_I'm going to be captured if I don't hide from the guards. But how?_' Lloyd's eyes fell on a set of armor racked up against the wall and an idea formed in his head.

He slipped the chainmail over his head and let it hang past his knees like a dress as he picked up the upper body combo armor and slipped it on. Then came the grieves, the boots, and finally the gloves. Just before the newly minted Tethe'alla Royal Guard Lloyd dashed out the door, he grabbed a spear.

'_Hehe, no one knows who I am,_' Lloyd thought as he marched up the stairs toward the King's Chamber. '_Just a little farther and then I'll have to figure out how to get in with the King. Ugh… This armor smells…_'

Lloyd passed by several priests and maids as he marched. Not one batted an eye. Lloyd couldn't help the grin that spread across his hidden face.

'_Now I know how the Professor and Sheena felt when we snuck into the Asgard Human Ranch_,' Lloyd thought. '_Maybe I shouldn't have made such a fuss. This is awesome, even if it stinks like Noishe before a bath_.'

Before Lloyd's imagination had a chance to travel much farther, he arrived at the King's chambers. It looked the same as normal, much to Lloyds' relief. Lloyd stopped when the guard put his hand on his hips.

"It's about time, my shift was up over an hour ago and I got to piss like a racehorse!" the guard quipped.

"Uh… sorry?" Lloyd said as he played along. "Uh… armor got… stuck."

"Hmph," the guard said and crossed his arms. "I know you're new, but you shouldn't be so sloppy when you've been assigned to the King. Geez." The guard marched off and left Lloyd alone in front of the door.

'_Now's my chance!_' Lloyd reached out to grasp the door handle when it started to open. Lloyd stood at attention as Zelos exited with two guards trailing behind. Lloyd resisted the urge to follow Zelos and remained stationary.

Following Zelos was Princess Hilda and the Pope. Lloyd nearly dashed passed their back into the King's Chambers when he caught the hushed conversation between the Pope and Princess Hilda.

"So the doddering old man will be dead within a week?" Hilda asked.

"Yes," the Pope said. "In a week's time, you'll be queen and I'll be your closest advisor."

"Very good," Hilda said. "I've dispatched Seles on Chosen duty near Sybak. The assassins are trailing her just as we planned. Her little brother, Zelos, is malleable, but… I don't want to take any chances. He'll have a little accident as soon as the guards escorting him mistake him for a coliseum contestant when they reach the prisons."

"Excellent," the Pope said. "Now, about my ne -"

'_Damn it_,' Lloyd thought. '_Now Zelos and Seles are in trouble! But what am I going to do about the King, he's dying too. Augh, but Zelos is going to die now and the King's got a week left. I… wish the others were here to help me decide. To heck with it, I'm going to save Zelos. King, don't you die before I get back!_'

Lloyd's eyes lingered on the King's door for a second longer. Then he turned and followed after Zelos.


	4. Arc 1, Chapter 3: Rescue

Chapter 3: Rescue

Author's Note: Well, well, chapter three of this arc is here! This is Moonshine's Guide, better known as Moony, and I'm honored that my chapter was chosen. V really got us going, as did Sage and Kat. Tee hee. Thanks for reading our story, and we really hope you enjoy the newest chapter of _From Here to Eternity.

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_Zelos moved pretty fast. Lloyd almost lost him and his escort several times. The armor didn't help. It obscured his vision, and to Lloyd's ears, made clanks with every step. The twin swordsman promised himself that he would ditch the armor as soon as he didn't need it. The armor might be a good disguise, and fun at first, but it was undoubtedly becoming a hindrance now. There wasn't enough time to shed it however, and Lloyd was forced to stay within the steel prison until he caught up and helped Zelos.

Hefting the spear, Lloyd picked up his pace. If what he had overheard was true, Zelos was almost in the danger zone. Lloyd couldn't let him die. An anxious feeling rose in his stomach, a worry that he would be too late to save his friend. A worry that almost became a reality. As Lloyd, and thus Zelos, neared the coliseum and thus the prison, a yell was heard. Gripping the spear he had grabbed tighter, Lloyd burst into a full out sprint, hampered somewhat by his disguise. He wished he had his twin blades. The lack of experience he had with a spear would put him at a disadvantage. Whipping around a corner, Lloyd found himself met with an odd sight. The two guards had obviously tried to strike, only to be confounded by Zelos fleeing under a rack of spears. They were arguing about the best way to get at the 'little bastard' when Lloyd burst in on the scene.

"What are you doing?" were the first words out of the Eternal Swordsman's mouth as he stared at the scene. The two guards leapt into the air at hearing him, surprised to find another guardsman in the area.

"Um… er…" The first began sheepishly, looking at his companion for an idea. His friend looked just as lost as he did and thrice as nervous. Both had the same look that all children do when caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "We were… um… p-playing hide and go seek with Master Zelos! He's a great hider you know." The two laughed nervously, their eyes occasionally darting over to where Zelos hid. The second guard, the one who hadn't spoken, had an extraordinarily guilty expression plastered upon his face. Lloyd had to resist the urge to smack his face in disbelief at their excuse.

"Do you… Never mind," Walking over to rack, Lloyd knelt down. "You can come out Master Zelos," He stated in the most calming voice he could, reaching his hand out to the red head.

In the shadows of the rack, Zelos shook his head wildly, his hair whipping about in the confined space. "They tried to hurt me!" he exclaimed in an incredulous tone. Lloyd's proffered hand made the boy shove himself closer to the wall, further under the rack.

"We did not!" The formerly silent guard protested. "He just overacted!" His friend elbowed him in the stomach to silence him. Lloyd looked at them with a deadpan expression. The second guard began to quiver under Lloyd's look. After a few more seconds, he broke. "WE WERE ORDERED TO!" he sobbed, backing up a few steps.

"Rick, you idiot, shut up! Be a man! He doesn't know!" The first one berated, looking at Lloyd, then back at his friend, before finally addressing Lloyd. "He's had a stressful week… just ignore him. His wife…" The guard shrugged, as if to say something about the woman had done something to warrant such an abnormal reaction. "And it kind of made him a little cra…"

"I am not crazy! I'm not doing this! I refuse to kidnap a kid! This is not what I signed up for. I signed up to help protect the Royal Family, not do their dirty work!" The second guard gestured violently, almost losing his grip on his weapon.

"Shut up Rick!" The first guard was torn between glaring at his companion and glaring at Lloyd. "Now we'll have to…" He never finished. Lloyd had heard enough. Using the butt of his spear, he knocked the first guard out and turned to Rick. "Are you going to fight?" The brunette inquired, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Rick meeped, and shook his head viciously, backing up a few feet. "I think I'll leave now…" he mumbled, running away. Lloyd held his spear at the ready until the guard was out of sight. Only then did he relax, lowering the spear and returning to talk to the hiding Zelos.

"Are you all right?" he inquired, solemnly staring at the young doppelganger of his friend. Moving to hold the spear with one hand, he carefully threaded his hand through the spears. "I'm here to… ow! What was that for?" Lloyd withdrew his hand, shaking it fervently, and looking at his fingers. Zelos had bitten right through the cloth, and his finger was now bleeding. "I'm trying to help you!"

"You're with them! You're trying to kill me!" A childish voice protested, cracking a little.

"I'm trying to help you!" Lloyd countered, trying to make himself look like a friend. He couldn't tell how well it was working. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm trying to keep you alive. But if we don't get out of here, there's a chance that next time, Hilda will send somebody else to take care of you. And I don't want that… your sis is in danger too. And the king…"

"Sis? Why would they go after Sis?" The Eternal Swordsman could hear the confusion in Zelos's voice. "The Princess wouldn't do that… she's always so nice. Always sticking up for me. She always listens…"

"Zelos, you have to believe me. Please come out from under there! If Hilda was so nice, why would she order the guards to kidnap you?" Taking a chance, Lloyd proffered his hand once more, praying that it didn't get bitten again.

There was silence for a moment. It seemed like forever to Lloyd, an everlasting abyss that he was caught in, waiting for this boy who looked so much like his friend to make his decision. A delicate, shaking hand grasped his. "Fine. But if you're lying, the Church and the Royal Family will arrest you." The words were mere bluster, a brave front put up by a boy who had just been assaulted by people he had once trusted with his life.

Lloyd grinned in relief. "Good. Let's go grab my stuff, and then we can go after your sister. We've got to make sure she's safe, right?"

Crawling out from beneath the rack, Zelos nodded, his gaze drifting to the ground. "Yes…" he mumbled unsurely, his hand still grasping Lloyd's as the two quickly departed.

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The Chosen of Tethe'alla stood at the edge of the Tethe'alla Bridge, gazing over the plain that lay before her. Sybak was a twinkle on the horizon's edge, and she wished that the city took less time to get to. No matter. The Princess had asked her to investigate some unusual reports of monster appearances near the university town, and she felt that it was her duty as the Chosen to help the people. And what sort of Chosen would turn down a plea of help?

Satisfied that she was headed in the right direction, Seles resumed her walking, moving along the road at a steady gate. It felt so nice to be traveling alone. A dangerous activity, but it was such a beautiful feeling to be traveling without guards to smother her fun. A weight was lifted off her shoulder, and she felt like she could soar, not worry about politics or Zelos or anything.

Zelos… A frown grew on her face as her sisterly instincts rose to the surface. Once again, she questioned the wisdom of leaving Zelos in the political hellhole that was Meltokio. Zelos was young and naive, and very, very capable of trusting the wrong people. One part of her mind scolded her for leaving him there with only Sebastian, while another said that the faster she finished this job, the sooner she could return to her younger brother.

As Seles's thoughts meandered, three figures approached her, using the high grass of the plain to hide. Hand signals were used to communicate as the three drew closer to their prey, cordoning off any escape route the Chosen might take. She didn't notice the three until it was too late to make a run. The first leapt at her with a deadly speed, launching herself at the Chosen from behind.


	5. Arc 1, Chapter 4: Learning to Toughen Up

Wow, this is an interesting twist… I won under even stranger circumstances than even V, and that's saying something. You see, I won through default, yes, but after I had little time to come up with something, during an extension period. What happened to everyone? Well, either way, I, Sage, will be here to open the next chapter. We don't own ToS. Enjoy the chapter!

Arc 1: Chapter 4: Learning to Toughen Up

Lloyd found it surprisingly easy to get back into the castle to get his stuff. He figured it was the armor. Once outside, he hurried down the stairs to the sewers where he left Zelos, hoping that no one was looking for him. As dangerous as it was to leave him there, it was suicide to take Zelos with him to the castle. He sighed heavily under the armor; he really hoped that he was still there or at least around.

He turned the corner, looking for onlookers around the sewer manhole. No one. Lloyd broke into a sprint, lifting the manhole and jumping down. He quickly covered it. He heard someone yelp and turned to see Zelos preparing to stab him. "Wait, it's me! The knight that saved you from those two earlier!" he said, grabbing Zelos' shaky arm.

"S-Sorry, i-it's just after being a-attacked, all I-I c-can d-do is t-try to s-s-stab a-and h-hope I-I can g-get away-way…." Zelos said as he shook in fear, losing the grip to his dagger. Lloyd placed his hand slowly onto Zelos' shoulder. Eventually, Zelos calmed down and picked up his dagger. "You scared me. I thought you were one of them and-"

"It may be hard, but you have to be brave and keep a level head. Your sister, the Chosen, may still be in danger. We need to get through the sewers to exit the city." Lloyd said, taking out his swords and strapping them to his waist. He then put the spear into the wingpack for later. He looked at Zelos, who gave him a weary look. "What? I'm new to the spear, knight or not. I'm way better at swords, and we need to get out of here fast." he said, hoping his answer will satisfy him.

"Okay, I just want to get out of here. This place smells and is disgusting." Zelos said, shuddering at the glop of green sewage that he had accidentally stepped in.

Lloyd nodded his head, unsheathing his swords. "Right, we have to get out now. Just keep yourself as calm as you can, and be prepared to run if we need to, above or underground." he said as they walked down the path, eyes peeled for roaming creatures.

Zelos nodded his head, remaining quiet. He had to keep calm, but he found himself shaking again. The thought of running got him nervous. "Wait, why would we have to run above ground?"

Lloyd looked at him through the helm. "Because you don't know if the guards at the gate are in on the kidnapping. At least if we take the sewers, we can be outside and can run if needed. We would probably get captured if we tried to exit through the gates." he said, sighing at how the smell in the armor started to stink even more now. He swore a huge waft of it went up his nose. He wanted so dearly to take it off, but he did not want the guards or Zelos, for that matter, to figure out his identity. And he was not sure if the guards had switched shifts. So he just had to grin and bear it for now. Lloyd shook his head; he had to focus on getting out of here. He then heard Zelos sigh. "What's wrong?"

"It's… I've been trying to be brave and not worry about Sis but… I keep letting everything get to me." Zelos said, looking up at Lloyd. He could see the Zelos' eyes shaking and filling up with water. "How can you keep yourself from cracking under all that pressure? Is it something all knights go through?" he said, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Are you not worried? She could be dead and we're going so slowly through here!"

"Calm down!" Lloyd shouted, listening to Zelos' startled gasp. "I'm as worried about the Chosen as you are. But working ourselves into a frenzy is going to do us no good. To keep yourself from worrying about someone, tell yourself that you're coming, and you'll save whoever you want to save." he said, clenching his fist tighter around his swords. Zelos could see them shaking and gasped. "And keep telling yourself that. Tell yourself that they can handle themselves until you can save them. It's all about confidence."

Zelos stared up at Lloyd as he walked. Zelos then lowered his eyes and stared at the ground. "I… I can't…" he said forlornly, keeping his eyes off of Lloyd. He felt Lloyd's gauntlet rest on his shoulder. "Wha…?"

"I have a story to tell you." Lloyd said, hoping his smile could be seen. He suddenly covered his eyes in shock, light beaming into the sewers. "But I'll have to tell you sometime later. We're out of the sewers, and may have to run." he said, turning to Zelos, who nodded his head weakly. "Alright, just act natural. I'll explain to the guards about it, and if not, be prepared to run, okay?" he said, swapping his swords for the spear, if only for charades' sake. He did not want to seem even more suspicious than he already was.

"Got it." Zelos said weakly; he was still unsure of what was going to happen. He had to hope that everything was going to be fine, just like the knight said. They soon found themselves approaching the guards on duty.

"Whoa now, why are you two coming out of the sewers?" the guard on duty said, looking at them suspiciously. "Is something wrong?"

Lloyd nodded his head. "Yeah, Master Zelos was almost kidnapped and taken to the Coliseum to be killed off in battle. So we went into the sewers to lose the pursuers." he said, watching the knight seemingly buying his story. "Now we must be off before they spot us and take another attempt on his life."

"Right. Run, knight and Master Zelos. We can't have something happen to Master Zelos." he said, looking around in a slight panic. "Hurry!" he said, watching as the two ran for it. They were soon out of sight.

Lloyd saw how Zelos was getting tired from running, obviously not used to the labor, and picked him up. He threw him onto his back, securing him with his arms. _Wow, I didn't realize how close the bridge was to Meltokio. _he thought, feeling something pound on his back. Lloyd looked back at Zelos. "What?"

"I think you can stop now, they can't see us." he said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry." Lloyd said, stopping so that Zelos could slide off of his back. "Alright, now all we have to do is make it across the bridge. Easier said than done, with the way this thing is." he said, looking back at Zelos. "You think you can handle it?"

Zelos looked down, sighing. "What choice do I have?"

"That's the spirit." Lloyd said with a smile, ignorant to the annoyed glare from Zelos. "Anyway, that story. I'll tell it along the way." he said, pushing Zelos to move. "He's around your age, actually. He's really smart." he said, clutching the spear a little tighter. "I wasn't like him, so he made fun of me a lot. Well, one day we were talking and I found out he liked something about me, and that was that I was brave. He wanted to be just like me." he said, looking out into the ocean. He swore the shapes on the surface formed a picture of Genis. "He thought he was a coward."

Zelos gasped to himself. That sounded just like him! Except he really was a coward. "I told him that he could be brave too. He didn't think so. But you see, the thing is, bravery isn't facing danger without fear. Bravery is knowing the danger and still doing it anyway. And when he realized that even he could when he wanted to, he realized that he was brave too. I was proud of him for that." Lloyd said with a smile, unconsciously using his spear as a walking stick. "I knew he could be brave, just like I know you can too. All you need to do is face your fears and give it a shot. Believe in yourself."

"Believe… in myself?" Zelos said, looking up at Lloyd's helm.

"Well, yeah. That's the first thing you need to have in order to be brave. And even when you think you lose it, it's always there. Just keep telling yourself 'I can do this' and 'I won't let anyone stop me from saving them' and you'll find that you can do it." Lloyd said, placing his hand onto Zelos' shoulder. "So, are you ready to save the Chosen?"

Zelos nodded his head weakly. "Yeah."

_**(--LINE BREAK--)**_

"What do you think you're doing?!" Seles shouted as she felt her hands being tied behind her. She could not see a thing because of the scarf around her eyes. "Untie me!"

The female assassin sighed, hand going to her forehead. "Sorry, but we need to have you out of the picture for a while." she said, pulling the scarf off of Seles' face.

Seles gasped. "You're all from Mizuho, aren't you? Tell me! Who contracted you?!" she said, looking around. She tried to move, thinking only her hands were bound, but soon found herself tied to a large wooden stick placed into the earth. Looking up, she saw that everything above her was covered. At least she did not have to worry about weather or monsters. "Who would want the Chosen dead?!"

"Our contractor lives in your city, finds your presence irritating, and wants you taken out." she said simply, turning her back toward Seles. "Alright guys, let her have some privacy as we think of how to dispose of her."

"What?! Why would someone in Meltokio want me dead?! Why would they contact Mizuhoan assassins for the job?!" Seles shouted back at the woman. "Most Meltokioans hate Mizuhoans, especially members of the Royal Family! I want everyone to live freely, especially your people!" she shouted once more, hoping to get their attention. "Tell me who it was!" The woman and her accomplices simply left her, walking outside. "Come back!"

Once out of hearing, the trio sat by the fire. "Sheena, I don't like this." the blue-clothed man said, looking at Sheena's face. "I mean, what if we make a mistake?"

"Orochi, we won't make a mistake. The chief gave us our orders clearly." The red-clothed man said, sighing into his facemask. "We wait until the Information Network figures out what the princess' true motives are. If they are as valid as they are, we take out the Chosen."

Sheena nodded her head. "And if the princess' motives are what the Chief and Vice-Chief think, then we release the Chosen and help her with the princess. We would have to explain to the Chosen that it was the only way to keep her safe, though. But either way, it's a win-win. Don't worry about it, Orochi."

"Well, while you and Kuchinawa are fine with it, one of us has to worry about it." he said, tossing some leaves into the fire. "But what if the princess has a back-up plan?"

"Orochi, we took the job and made sure that we are the only ones who did. It is written in an oath of blood. The princess cannot back out of it or else." Sheena said, looking back at the tent where Seles was. "And she's safe with us. If she had hired someone else, she'd be dead already. Relax. The Chief and Vice-Chief wouldn't carelessly put the Chosen in harm's way. And there is a reason why we only take certain jobs in the first place. We have a reason to take this job."

Orochi sighed. "Alright, then. We'll have to pretend to be assassins until we find out, I suppose. Let's hope everything goes well."

"Everything will be fine, Orochi." Kuchinawa said, looking at the Tethe'allan Bridge. "We just need to make sure no one comes for the Chosen until the network finishes. How hard will that be?"


	6. Arc 1, Chapter 5: Reversal of Fortune

AN: Hey all, it's me (Twilight Scribe) again. Seems like I won this round by default, (That makes a hat trick of lone submissions!) which is a little disappointing since I was looking forward to reading what everyone else came up with... But eh, it's not the end of the world, right? ... Right? (I hope it's not. Right now's just not a good time for a zombie apocalypse.) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

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Arc 1, Chapter 5: Reversal of Fortune

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Inside the shelter, Seles struggled against her bonds. Those people, they sure seemed resolute on that whole 'killing her' business... Not that that was really anything new for the Chosen. All it meant was that for her sake, and her brother's, Seles needed to get free and fast. If the assassins' client really was someone in Meltokio, then Zelos was definitely in danger, maybe even already dead. If either of them were to survive, she'd have to make good use of the valuable time she'd been given left alone. Make it count. Who knew how much longer she had before the assassins decided to return and finish the job?

Trouble was... Those assassins really knew how to tie their knots. No matter what she did to try and loosen the ropes, they just pulled tighter. Probably some sort of Mizuhoan magic, Seles thought. She leaned back against the stake and sighed. Then looked up.

"Hm..."

She materialized her wings, hoping the ping and glow of condensing mana wouldn't alert her captors, and jumped, using the lift from her wings to soar up and over the top of the stake. Landing silently, Seles hurried to the side of the shelter and pressed herself against the wall.

_'Lucky they didn't attach that stake to the ceiling or I'd've had to bust through the roof to get free.'_

Glancing around the small hut once more, Seles found nothing but dirt floor and bare walls. The door was covered by a slab of what looked like wood, probably barred from the outside. Sure, Seles knew that with her strength she could probably bash her way out through any one of the walls, but, seeing as her hands were still securely tied behind her back and her sword was nowhere in sight, maybe subtlety was a better idea... She turned her attention back to the door and began formulating the second stage of her daring escape.

-- -- -- -- --

Sheena frowned, scanning the horizon for any sign of their contact. The network was sure taking their sweet time. Or maybe something was wrong... Could their spy in the castle have been discovered? That would explain why they'd yet to get a response to Kuchinawa's message that they'd successfully captured the chosen.

The vague unease she'd felt over the last few hours solidified, transforming into a full-fledged gut instinct screaming that something had changed and they were in danger. Instantly on the alert, Sheena signaled to Orochi and Kuchinawa, calling them both over from their posts.

"I don't like this. Our contact is taking too long." The men nodded, they agreed the situation felt anything but right. "We need to move, now. We're sitting ducks out in the open like this... Let's get the Chosen, we're going into the forest. It'll be easier to hide in there."

Kunais in hand, Orochi and Kuchinawa started back towards the hut that held the Chosen, Sheena following close behind. All three of them were expecting something to happen. None of them were expecting that something to be an angry Chosen kicking down the door as soon as it was unbarred, flattening both men beneath the heavy plank, then leaping out onto it with her red-orange wings blazing.

"I'd prefer to settle this peacefully, but one way or another you will tell me who hired you. Who wants me dead!?" Seles' heart was racing. She had to bluff her hardest and get the information as fast as she could. "Answer me! Answer me now or I'll freeze you solid!"

Wisps of frigid air began to swirl between the two women, making both their breath visible despite the pleasant day and taking Sheena by surprise. The magic worked so fast, only a few seconds and she could barely feel her fingers.

"W-Wait!" Sheena's teeth chattered. The Chosen had to understand what was going on before she cast a full power Absolute and killed them all. "We're on your side!" Seles cocked an eyebrow.

"Really. Then you should be perfectly willing to tell me everything you know."

Sheena gulped, harsh wintry air rasping at her throat. It was now or never. For all their sakes, she hoped the Princess was being as duplicitous as they suspected with her claims about the Chosen, otherwise she and her comrades were a mere breath away from a future as ice sculptures.

"Princess Hilda hired us to assassinate you. She claimed you were planning to murder the King and usurp the throne."

"Did you believe her?" Seles watched Sheena intently, gauging her response. Most people would take the fact that the assassins accepted the job at all as a solid sign that yes, they fully trusted the Princess' story, but Seles knew shinobi always kept something hidden. Ulterior motives, secret agendas... Usually with a strong sense of honor backing them up.

"No." Sheena found it easier to breathe as the air warmed ever-so-slightly. "We have people watching the Princess. Our orders were to wait until we figured out what her motives were and, if she was lying, to help you in whatever way we could. With the way things are looking right now, I think we'll be giving you a hand pretty soon."

For a second, Sheena was afraid the Chosen wouldn't believe her, then the unnatural cold began to dissipate as quickly as it arrived, leaving her with an uncomfortable pins and needles feeling as feeling returned to her extremities. Seles took a deep breath and banished her wings. It wasn't that she trusted the ninja, she had plenty of doubts, but if playing along could get her free and on the road back to Meltokio to save her little brother, then so be it.

"Prove it. Untie me and give me back my sword."

-- -- -- -- --

The walk to Sybak was much longer than Lloyd remembered. Much, much longer. Of course, he'd never made the trip in a sweltering hot, heavy suit of armor before. That, plus the extra weight of Zelos, who had tired out a few miles ago and was once again riding piggyback, steadily ate away at Lloyd's stamina until he felt like he was running on vapors. Plodding to a stop, he looked back at the boy clinging to his shoulders.

"Hey, Zelos, can we stop for a bit? I need a break."

"Okay." Zelos paused, then smiled and added "I was actually wondering when you'd ask. You felt all wobbly but just kept going. You're crazy strong, Lloyd! It's really cool."

"Heh, thanks." Lloyd laughed as he stepped off the road and knelt, letting Zelos dismount before flopping onto his back in the grass and pulling off his helm. "Ah, that's better..."

After a couple minutes of lying there like a lump he heard a soft thump as Zelos plopped down next to him. Lloyd could see something was troubling the boy.

"I'm sorry..." Zelos pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees. "I shouldn't have asked you to carry me. You're already doing so much to help my sister and I, and the only thing I'm doing is making you tired. So, I'm sorry."

"Hey," Lloyd sat up, armor clinking slightly, and smiled. "Stop apologizing, you dork. You're light. It's this armor that's wearing me out." He knocked a gauntleted fist against his breastplate, making a dull, reverberating 'clong!' for emphasis. "It's heavier than it looks and you wouldn't believe how hot it is in here. Smelly too."

"Really?" Zelos raised his head, sounding a little relieved, and looked over at Lloyd curiously. "If it's that bad, why're you still wearing it?"

A very good question. One Lloyd honestly didn't have a satisfying answer to. In hindsight, he could have just changed out of the armor and stuck it in the Wing Pack as soon as they were a safe distance from Meltokio. A twinge of regret stabbed at Lloyd's heart.

_'If Genis were here, he probably would have suggested that right from the start...'_

But, Lloyd reasoned, the armor is useful for some things. It got us out of the city without a fuss, and nobody in Tethe'alla's going to question the authority of a Royal Guardsman in full armor, no matter how confused he seems... All in all, it was pretty hand, even if it did feel like he was walking around in a forge.

"People treat me like a Royal Guard when I'm wearing this armor, but if we ran into someone out here and I didn't have it on, they'd probably bother us."

"Oh, that makes sense." Zelos rested his head on his knees again, staring down at his toes in deep thought. "But... Wait, who would we meet out here? There are too many monsters out here to travel, that's why they sent Seles." No answer. The swordsman was glaring at something off in the distance. "Lloyd? Hey, who do you think'll be out here?"

"Them."

Following Lloyd's gaze across the open plain, Zelos could see something shiny slowly creeping over the rise of a nearby hill. A squad of Royal Guards, their distinctive armor flashing in the sunlight. There was no mistaking them. Next to him, Lloyd hurriedly yanked his helm back on and opened the Wing Pack to exchange his swords for the spear he was supposed to be carrying. If they had spotted the guards, then the guards were probably already aware of their presence too. Running now, away from 'allies,' would be suspicious. No, this was a situation they'd have to bluff their way out of.

Pulling himself to his feet, Lloyd stood by the roadside, carefully monitoring the advancing column of soldiers. As they drew closer and he could finally get a headcount Lloyd realized there were eighteen of them.

_'Damn it... I know the knights always travel in groups, but that's almost a full company.' _Quickly taking stock of his fatigue and dismal spear skills, Lloyd turned back to Zelos who had also gotten up.

"Zelos, I need you to keep calm and stay behind me until we figure out what these guys want, okay? As far as they know, we're allies; but if we look nervous, then they might start to suspect something's wrong." He paused, thinking of how best to word his next directions. He didn't want to scare the kid, but Zelos had to know what to do in case things went sour. "We should be all right, but if it comes down to a fight, you need to get away. Don't worry about me. Just run and don't stop until you find your sister, understand?" Zelos nodded and Lloyd resumed watching the knights. Once they came into earshot the squad's commander raised his spear in salute and called a out a greeting, which Lloyd returned, before bringing his men to a halt in front of the pair.

"Well met, my friend. What duty brings you this far from the palace?"

"I've been charged with escorting Master Zelos to safety in Sybak."

Hidden under his helm, the commander raised an eyebrow. By order of the Princess, young Zelos was to remain under protective custody until the Chosen returned from her mission. He wasn't supposed to be out of his home, much less roaming the countryside on the way to Sybak. Examining Zelos more closely the commander noticed that, thought on the surface he looked unconcerned, even comfortable with the scene unfolding around him, the boy was tense. And that knight accompanying him...

Yes, the commander was sure. Whoever was in that armor, they weren't a knight of the guard. He certainly looked the part; to a civilian he would be indistinguishable from a real guardsman, but as the commander observed the fake knight he caught a host of subtle mistakes that gave the imposter away. Most obvious was the imposter's contradicting orders, but his stance was all wrong. It was clear from his awkward posture and the way he held his spear, below the haft's proper balance point, that the imposter was unused to wearing armor and completely unfamiliar with how to handle the weapon he carried.

"I see." This could not be allowed to continue. Zelos needed to return to the palace immediately, and the imposter... The Princess would determine what to do with him once they arrived. "A noble mission indeed. Perhaps we could be of assistance, Sir... Forgive me, but your voice is unfamiliar. What is your name?" Lloyd paused, biting back his normal response.

"It's Lloyd. Thanks for the offer, but I was ordered by His Majesty himself not to entrust Zelos to anyone else."

This Lloyd, the commander decided, was a terrible liar. His Majesty had been to weak to speak, to even awaken, for months. He signaled to his men with a tiny, almost imperceptible twitch of his finger, ordering them to fan out and surround the two. The knights moved surprisingly fast, trapping them inside a ring of spears.

"Forgive me, Sir Lloyd, but I'm afraid we must insist." The commander took a step forward and put out his left hand. "Your spear. And the armor, take it off. If you cooperate, you will survive to be judged before the Princess in Meltokio."

Lloyd's mind raced as he tried to find a way out. Talking had failed, and fighting was out of the question. There was no way he could get to his swords before the knights skewered him and trying to use his spear at all would be suicide. For a moment Lloyd considered running, the knights would never expect him to whip out his wings and fly off with Zelos, but he knew it wouldn't work. He just didn't have the energy for it. Even if he managed to get them off the ground, Lloyd knew he'd only be able to withstand a couple yards of flight before he plummeted back to earth unconscious. No matter how he planned it out, the result was the same...

With a resigned sigh Lloyd held out his spear for the commander to take, then reached up to remove his helm.

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AN: Oh noes! How will our heroes fare in the hands of enemy? Tune in next time for another exciting chapter of From Here to Eternity! (And as for where that large, conveniently-timed group of guards came from... Troop movements from an outpost in Gaoracchia Forest? Just... Don't think about it too hard.)


	7. Arc 1, Chapter 6: Revelation

Well, well, well… I suppose it's greetings from Sage again, guys. I was the only one who wrote this time. Well, not that I'm complaining… TS did give me the inspiration to write. So thanks, TS! :D We don't own anything ToS related, as always… Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

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Arc 1: Chapter 6: Revelation

Lloyd sighed, still dressed in knight's armor, as he walked with the regiment of knights across the Tethe'alla Bridge back to Meltokio. A pair of knights led Lloyd back, the rest of the Reflecting back at what happened, he sighed. As soon as he was about to remove his helm, the captain pushed it back down. Lloyd watched him wag his finger at him, as if he was doing something wrong. The captain's words still echoed in his ears.

"_It would be unwise to cause a scene and alert the people of an imposter. We will grant you time to keep your identity a secret for now until you are tried. We will take you back to the capital as an unarmed knight, but we shall show you the true power of the knights, and you will pay."_

Lloyd shuddered again at the captain's words. What would happen to him, to Zelos? Or worse, what happened to Seles? Lloyd shook his head, sighing deeply. She was probably dead by now, seeing that they could not get to her in time. He had failed. Now what will happen to this world, and will he die with it?

He turned his head toward Zelos, who was still trying to shake off the knights escorting him. He smiled at the shock from the knights, who were still shocked at Zelos' subtle change. However, Lloyd found Zelos' attachment to him strange. He never told him that he was not a knight, yet Zelos was still trying to defend him from their wrath for the supposed kidnapping. While Lloyd knew he would never lie to anyone, how was Zelos to know that he was telling the truth?

'_It didn't have to do with saving him from those two knights, would it?'_ Lloyd thought, looking back at Zelos. Now he was arguing with the two knights. Something about how he was almost kidnapped by the Royal Knights, almost being taken to the Coliseum to fight… The knights escorting him shrugged it off, claiming no knight would allow that. This, of course, did not appease Zelos, who kept looking at him with pleading eyes.

Lloyd knew it was true, he had seen it. But what could he do now?

"Ouch!"

Lloyd perked up, watching as Zelos ran over to him. Lloyd was confused. Did Zelos just bite that knight's hand? "What…?"

"We need to move away, now! I-I don't trust the knights r-right now. And-!" Zelos paused, gasping at what he saw.

Lloyd was still confused. "But Zelos, I…" he said, stopping. He saw Zelos gaping. "Zelos?"

"We need to get away! Hurry!" he said, grabbing Lloyd's hand. Lloyd stumbled, not expecting to be pulled. Lloyd knew Zelos could not pull him in this armor, so shaking his head, he ran with him. He knew this was going to be a bad idea, especially considering the situation they were in. The Captain of the Knights spotted the two running and shouted, charging after them. His men followed. Lloyd gasped as Zelos began to shiver slightly, goose bumps appearing on his arms. "Come on, hurry!" Zelos shouted once more, leading Lloyd toward the end of the bridge.

Out of breath, Lloyd felt the cooler air filling his lungs. He shivered, the cold armor bearing down on him. Wait, cold? Walking over to the ledge of the bridge, Lloyd fell back at the stalagmite of ice shooting up at him. Suddenly, several more pillars of ice shot up from the water. Looking on the other side where Zelos stood, Lloyd saw the pillars shooting up on the other side as well.

Soon after, those pillars shattered, the tips landing onto the bridge. Lloyd saw that the knights were blocked from them, thanks to the debris of ice. Lloyd hesitantly walked up toward it, placing his hand on the ice. He quickly retracted it; it was way too cold to be natural, he realized. He removed the gauntlet, hoping no injury was taken.

A cold rush of air swept by him, blowing him away; it wrapped itself around the knights' feet. Suddenly, they were encased in ice.

Lloyd gasped at the orange-winged woman floating gently down, her arms folded across her chest. Her hat was tilted forward, almost falling off her head. Seles turned back toward Lloyd with eyebrows lowered, glaring suspiciously at him. "I don't know why my little brother bothered to save you, but he must have had his reasons. So I will allow you to explain yourself before I give you the same fate as those traitorous knights."

Zelos gasped, running up toward Lloyd. "Sis! Don't!" he said, looking up at him. "He saved me when the knights tried to kidnap and take me to the Coliseum!"

Seles smiled, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. So Zelos was safe. "Zelos, I'm so glad you're safe." she said, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry for leaving you to this trap. I would have been here sooner, but I had a situation to deal with myself." she said, watching as the three ninjas appeared behind her. "Ah, they're right on time."

"Chosen, we've alerted the Chief. According to the Network, Princess Hilda caught on to us and found and killed our operative, which is why he never got back to us." Sheena said, gasping when she turned to Lloyd. He looked away, fighting down the urge to call out to her. "Chosen, he's-!"

"Relax, Sheena." Seles said, holding her hand off. She walked over to Lloyd and held out her hand. Lloyd grasped it graciously, getting onto his feet. "Are you alright?"

Lloyd nodded his head. It took a lot of effort not to react to Sheena's presence and call out her name. She still looked the same as always… The sweat rolled down his face as he quickly bit his lip, thinking that he was going to call out her name. He inhaled and exhaled. "Yes, thank you, Chosen." he said, rubbing his head. "Anyway, I saved Zelos when he was about to get forced into the Coliseum. I heard what was going down and tried to stop it."

"And that was when you ran into the knights…" Seles said, looking back at the knights on their knees. "Alright, knights! Where do your alliances lie?!"

The Captain of the Knights slowly walked forward. "Chosen, what do you mean? We were doing our routine pilgrimage to check up on the other outposts when we-"

Seles taped her foot in seething anger. "If that was the case, why was my brother in your custody when this knight was trying to keep my brother safe? I cannot trust the knights that serve the princess, the princess after the Chosen's blood."

The captain looked back at Lloyd. "W-What-"

"The princess has attempted to do away with both me and my brother." she said, watching as the captain gasped through his helm. Seles turned toward the rest of the knights. "Listen to me, knights of Tethe'alla. The princess is plotting to take control of the throne as well as the church. She had sent assassins to take me out, but she failed to realize the honor of the Mizuhoan ninjas when they take on the job. With that said, where does your alliance lie? With a princess that tried to kill not only me for her own means, but my brother as well, or with the Chosen, who is trying to unite all people?"

Lloyd looked at the captain, keeping his eyes off of Orochi, Kuchinawa, and Sheena. It was still so eerie to him, having a friend nearby yet so far apart. He saw the captain shake his head in disbelieve.

The captain looked at Seles. "Chosen, as long as I've been a captain, I have known that you are one who has not said a lie. Nor would you use your power for personal gain." he said, turning toward his men. "In the time I've known the Chosen, I have known that Mistress Seles has always been for the citizens. If any of you feel otherwise, leave now and head back to your family. Put down your spear, and you will be allowed to leave. But I will follow the Chosen."

Seles gasped, placing her hand to her mouth. She smiled. "Thank you. I cannot stand to see something like this happen. I'm just sorry that I had not caught it sooner."

Lloyd turned back toward Seles, hands at his side. "Chosen, you could not have seen this coming. The princess's plan is pretty big. She's working with the Pope to poison His Majesty," Lloyd said, waving his hand around. "It was made to make it like he's dying from an illness."

Seles frowned. "Is that true?"

Lloyd nodded his head. "Yeah, I heard them talking about it. They'll probably deny it, so what we probably need to do is catch them in the act or something."

"Agreed, we must have proof. Captain, go speak with your knights and see who is staying and who is going."

"At once, Chosen." the captain said, bowing before turning around.

Lloyd turned around, deciding that he needed to speak with Zelos. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. "Wait, please, I wish to speak with you, if you do not mind. It's in regards to my brother, Zelos."

"Yes, Chosen? What about Zelos?"

Seles nodded her head, folding her hands in front of her. "I would like to thank you for protecting Zelos in my absence, Lloyd." she said, watching as Lloyd flinched, the armor clanking in rhythm. Seles giggled lightly, folding her hands behind her back. "I bet you're wondering how I knew. Well," she said, looking around the field, "let's move to a more private location." she said, walking away from the knights, Lloyd following her.

"I think this is far enough. I do not hear any of the knights." she said, turning to face Lloyd. "I'm sure you must want to remove that helm, yes?"

Lloyd nodded his head, hands reaching the helm and pulling it off his head. He inhaled deeply, hand running through his hair. "How did you know it was me?"

"I could tell by your voice. I recognized it while we were first talking." Seles said, rubbing her arm with her hand. "You are not a knight, so how did you get the armor? How did you know that my brother was in danger?" she said, looking him over.

Lloyd looked away. He knew he could not tell her the truth... "Well… I couldn't see the king, so I went to the church. Somehow, a door was opened and some tunnel was revealed. So I followed it and it took me to the castle armory. Then the tunnel behind me closed off, and I was stuck in the armory." he said, looking back down at the armor. "I didn't want to get caught, so I found a spare suit of armor and put it on. I was then forced out to take a post by another knight, and that was then I overheard of the princess and Pope's plans." he said, putting the helm back on. "And now that I've gotten some fresh air, I really should put this back on."

"I see. So then, does my brother know of you not being a knight?" Seles said, crossing her arms across her chest. She looked down to the ground, mouth hanging slightly open. "Somehow, I do not think so…"

Lloyd shook his head. "No, he doesn't. Though I think that it would be best that he doesn't know…" he sighed, lowering his head. "I don't want something to ruin anything…"

"Alright." she said, frowning. "If you believe that my brother would not benefit from him knowing you, we must not let him know." she said, turning toward the captain running toward them. "And I think I know how to help you." she said, waving down the captain. "Ah, captain, what is the matter?"

"Nothing, Chosen, I just came to report on the situation at hand." he said, saluting. "None of my men left to return to their families so far. They are still being tested on their integrity as we speak. Also, I came to ask what to do with this imposter-"

"You will do nothing." Seles said, crossing her arms. "He is a new recruit. So I would like for you to do is to help him continue the path of a knight by fixing any flaws in his form, please."

The captain nodded his head, turning toward Lloyd. "Of course, Chosen." he said, walking up to Lloyd, placing his hand onto Lloyd's shoulders. "I'm sorry for the trouble I gave you. I had to take the proper precautions when it comes to the Chosen's family."

Lloyd shook his head weakly. "I-It's fine."

"Come, we'll work on your form, then. We have a lot to cover." he said, leading Lloyd toward the clearing. Lloyd looked back, spotting the smile on Seles' face.


	8. Chapter 8

To the readers of "From Here to Eternity",

You are all the writers of "From Here to Eternity" as well. This story will not progress without you! This project was originally intended to be a story that anyone who wanted to write, anyone, could help continue; we didn't want to have a sole group of people make up the whole thing. Want to see the next chapter posted? You write it. Take it where you want to go, but keep in mind, this is still a story. Character development, like what is seen is this chapter, _matters_. But for the most part, that is the only rule that does. I don't care where you take the story even if it's not the direction we originally intended at the beginning, I don't care what you do with it or the plot, but try to follow what's happened previously, of course. Bear in mind if I get several of one chapter, we're still doing the voting thing. If you want to be a voter, send a request to Snophoenix at gmail dot com. But without you and the original SnoPhoenix members, this story will not get updated. If your chapter gets posted, and if you are not on the list of authors on the profile, you will be added.

Good luck, be creative, and have fun!

--Baby Kat Snophlake

Now a note from this chapter's authoress: GASP! An update? It's been a year! Yeah, we know. ;P We don't own ToS, -usual banter- Enjoy the story! This chapter is really really short because I wrote it for the 500 and I figured it's a good kick-start to get us back on track. I focused more on Lloyd than the plot so, I hope ya'll like it.

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**From Here to Eternity**

**Chapter Seven by Baby Kat Snophlake**

"A new recruit?" Captain Werner asked of Lloyd as they returned to the campsite. The next day they would return to Meltokio. Until then, the Chosen and Sheena were going to plan their course of action. Werner had spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Lloyd about being a knight so he could blend in a little better. Lloyd, though, didn't like the way Werner was staring at him over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"You used to be a mercenary then." Finally, Werner turned away.

Lloyd paused and allowed his spear tip to touch ground. "Wha…? What makes you say that?"

"A new recruit that doesn't know a thing about spears but knows the intricate foot work of a fight. You must have been a mercenary. You've fought before… with a sword, I presume?"

"Er, yeah I suppose I have."

"What changed?"

Lloyd didn't answer right away. Of course he couldn't tell the captain everything but he knew himself better than that. He was bound to say something he really shouldn't and decided silence was the best course of action for now. He walked past the captain and took his seat with the others where someone was passing out bowls of stew. He paid careful attention to how he placed the spear on the ground next to him. He still couldn't get the image of two of them scant inches away from his face not too long ago. Seles smiled and moved to sit next to Lloyd. Werner sat down on Lloyd's other side but didn't press the subject of his past, choosing instead to dig into his own bowl of stew.

"I've noticed something else with Zelos," Seles told Lloyd. "I have a feeling you're the one to blame for it."

"Blame?" Lloyd's back stiffened and he almost dropped his bowl. "Wh-what did I do?"

Seles laughed. "Now don't sound so guilty. It wasn't a crime." She nodded towards Zelos who was talking animatedly with Sheena. A new feeling crept into Lloyd that he didn't understand. He waited for Zelos to say something that would make Sheena reach over and slap him, but what felt even more weird was that she was smiling back at him. Not to mention that Zelos was still a kid. The conversation was loud enough he could understand bits of what they were saying. It was an innocent conversation… This was definitely not home. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Lloyd turned back to Seles who was looking at him with concern.

"You look kind of… confused."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, really. I was just—thinking." Seles raised an eyebrow and studied him for a moment. Lloyd decided to change the subject back to Zelos. "I have noticed, actually. He's improved a lot."

"He doesn't normally find it easy to talk to strangers." Seles said. Lloyd nodded. "So you've defended him and helped build up his confidence in himself? How'd you do that? I've been trying to build him up for years but… he never listened to me."

"Umm, well…" The conversation took an uncomfortable turn. Lloyd stuffed his mouth with food and mumbled, "I just talked to him." All the while he watched Zelos and Sheena share their first ever pleasant conversation in his living memory, he tried to ignore the feeling of Seles's eyes on him.

"Just who are you, Lloyd?" she asked. He shrugged, keeping his head down and close to the nearing empty bowl of food.

"I wondered that too," came Werner's voice from Lloyd's other side. "I don't think he's ordinary, that's for sure." Lloyd almost choked.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Um… hi ^_^ I'm Sholay. I'm new to this whole collaboration thing (not to mention writing TOS fanfiction in general) and so am probably unfamiliar with some of the rules. However, I think this idea of many authors contributing to one fanfic is brilliant, so I just had to try my hand. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Tales of Symphonia and all related characters are the property of Namco. I own nothing; I just play in the sandbox.

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**Arc 1; Chapter Nine: **Malpractice and Swords

The Captain of the Guards, Lloyd had come to realize, was not a man to be trifled with. Captain Werner's comment that Lloyd was not 'ordinary' had had the Eternal Swordsman spluttering like a four year-old caught misbehaving. After stammering out a response that even he could not remember, Lloyd had dived his nose heartily into his stew in an attempt to mask his burning cheeks.

What little good that had done; questions had danced in the Captain's eyes, though none were given voice. Trusted by both the Chosen and Zelos, Lloyd had the benefit of the doubt for now; but he knew a single misstep on his part would guarantee him a meeting with the pointy end of the elder man's spear.

Lloyd groaned, rolling over on his bed of dirt and grass. A twig dug uncomfortably into his side and he winced, reaching underneath himself and pulling out the offending object—more akin to a small branch than a twig—and tossed it carelessly to his left.

"OIE!"

"Oh!" Lloyd's eyes widened, trying to seek out the voice in the dark camp. "Sorry!" He called.

"Yeah you better be!" An unknown soldier flared. "What do you think you're doing, throwing—!"

"QUIET BACK THERE!" Came the deep bellow of Captain Werner. The soldier grumbled a few more uncomplimentary things about Lloyd's mental state before heeding his superior's words and quietening down.

Lloyd exhaled slowly, glad the incident hadn't turned into a confrontation.

He was surprised at how different it was to be travelling in a crowd of people. There were at least fifty soldiers lying around him in every direction. Zelos and Seles were on his right and the night watch was somewhere behind him. In his old group, he had always slept in the outer ring of the group. Now there were so many people around him, all strangers—or strangers wearing the faces of old friends. Earlier that day, Sheena had barely said a word to him, even though he'd tried, multiple times, to strike up a conversation with her.

Gripped by a surge of loneliness, Lloyd shivered. It was like a hand was tightening around his heart and he curled his knees up to his chest. He held himself. How could he do this by himself? Did he even know what he was supposed to do? This world… It was so different—and so similar. He knew these people: Sheena, Zelos, Seles. But they didn't know him. The things he'd fought so hard to gain didn't even exist here. He was trapped by the very things he had once coveted. Knowledge, bonds, friendship… Friends… He couldn't do this be himself…

'_Be calm. Remember what you're fighting for and focus on that feeling. Hardship will obscure your path always. You must __train your eye to see your goal and only your goal. Only then will you succeed.'_

It had been almost a year since these words, spoken in a soothing monotone, had been told to him. But Lloyd had never forgotten—as he never forgot any of Kratos' lessons—and he followed them even now.

'_I'm here to save my world. All the earthquakes, the storms… they're still happening.'_ Lloyd winced. _'People are dying. I can't—No, I_ won't_ let it go on!'_

"Origin," Lloyd intoned under his breath. "Origin, come on. I need your help; where are you? What do I have to do?"

But though he pleaded for the Summon Spirit to respond, no answering voice echoed in his mind. Origin, wherever he was, was not responding.

Lloyd sighed. He would have to resign himself to the fact that he was well and truly alone. Breath puffing from his lungs in another long sigh, he went back to trying to find a comfortable spot on the uneven ground.

He had left his world with nothing but the clothes on his back and was now severely regretting that hastiness. _'Genis woulda remembered. So would've Raine.'_ He could picture his friends in his mind's eye. _'Then Zelos would make one of his silly comments, Colette'd be confused and Sheena'd smack him.'_ A slow grin was working its way onto Lloyd's face. _'Presea's eyes would be soft; and Regal would just watch, sigh, and probably say something deep and meaningful.'_

His mood significantly improved, Lloyd began to feel himself nodding off.

'_I'll be back soon guys.'_ He told them. _'I promise.'

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_

The next morning found Lloyd, fully decked in his suit of armour, clanking down the road leading toward Meltokio. He shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, trying to bend his neck enough to work the crick out of it but failing miserably due to the stiffness of the helm encircling his head. Breastplates and shin guards didn't make for the most comfortable pillows.

"Urgh, I swear every time I put this thing on it gets more uncomfortable." He groused, flexing his plated hands.

A laugh near his right made him twist his head, then follow the movement with his shoulders when his visor didn't allow him enough leeway to see who was next to him.

"Seles!" He exclaimed upon spotting the teenaged girl. A few years his senior, Seles was still shorter than Lloyd; she had to tilt her head back in order to see past the wide brim of her hat and smile cheerfully up at him.

"Hi Lloyd. You're lagging behind a little; is something wrong?"

Lloyd shook his head—or tried. "No, I—" He abruptly lost his train of thought when his shoulder blade began to twinge

Seles hid her giggles behind her hand as she watched Lloyd dig his hand under his suit of armour, trying valiantly to reach the itch in his back. "You look a little uncomfortable there." She noted innocently.

"No—ugh…" Scratching madly, the feeling of ants crawling across his back gradually faded and Lloyd relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's nothing. I'm just not used to wearing this thing, s'all."

"Really?" Seles looked honestly surprised. "You seemed okay with it before."

Lloyd thought about that comment. It was partly true. Yesterday he'd worn the suit for hours on end. It had been hot and smelly, but he'd at least been able to bear it. Now he could hardly manage the mere five hours of hiking that would get them to Meltokio.

Honestly, he'd lived through months of travelling with _Kratos_. The man's stamina was bottomless—a fact Lloyd, Raine, Genis and Colette had learned the hard way while travelling through Triet.

'_Probably because he's an angel.' _Lloyd speculated glumly. He blinked then as a realization struck him. _'He knew. Even then, he __**knew**__ and he never said anything.'_ Of course, Kratos had told Lloyd that he'd figured out he was his father the moment he'd seen the grave behind Dirk's house. But to know that fact and to realize its implications were two entirely different things.

'_Was he afraid? Was he… disappointed?'_ Lloyd cringed in remembrance of how he'd snipped at and gibed Kratos when they'd first met—how he'd been completely humbled by the man's skills; and his subsequent jealousy.

"_You're name… is Lloyd?"_

"_Are your sword techniques self-taught?"_

To his oblivious ears these words had sounded mocking, condescending. But now they took on a whole new meaning. Lloyd wondered what it must have been like for Kratos—to have his life practically defined by his sword, then to have seen his son running around, blindly hacking at monsters, wielding two splinters of wood in his hands…

Oh yes, Lloyd knew how bad he'd been.

"Hey, hey, Lloyd, are you all right?"

"Huh?" Lloyd's eyes snapped up from the road and, upon spotting Seles' concerned face, abruptly remembered that he'd been conversing with the girl. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Did you say something?"

Seles eyed him sceptically, but she didn't pry. "I was just wondering why you don't take off that suit of armour. It's not like you have to pretend to be a knight anymore. I know you don't want Zelos to know you aren't a knight but you could just tell him you're not used to the suit yet." She shrugged one shoulder.

Lloyd opened his mouth to respond but when her words actually registered he found himself considering her point.

"Huh…"

A few minutes later, Lloyd had stripped himself of the suffocating armour, stored it in his wing pack and was now barely restraining himself dashing ahead of the group and sprinting across the field.

"Ahh!" He stretched his arms high above his head, grinning widely. "The wind on my face, the ground under my feet, the open view!" Channelling the Colette within him, Lloyd skipped a few steps, then turned around to face Seles. He clasped his hands behind his head as he walked backwards, smiling at her. "That was an awesome suggestion! You're my hero right now, you know that?"

"I know." The Chosen fanned herself, feigning smugness, but the twinkling in her eyes gave her away as she watched the teen's antics.

Lloyd revelled in his newfound motor freedom for a few more moments before reigning himself back in and moving to walk beside Seles with more decorum. The sun was high in the sky and now that he wasn't weighted down by a ton of metal he could fully appreciate that fact. Training his eyes on the horizon, he could just make out the shadow of Meltokio's outer wall and the castle's turrets. They'd reach the city soon.

'_Then I'll save the King, and the Pope and Princess Hilda are going down!'_ He vowed. _'I wonder if that'll be enough to restore this world?'_

"You know," Lloyd's head lolled to the side as he glanced at Seles, who had piped up after a few minutes of silence. "Your clothes are very different."

Lloyd chuckled, looked down fondly at his red shirt and suspenders. "So I've been told." _'Multiple times.'_ He added with a mental eye roll. It was funny how the person who teased him most about his clothes was, technically, barely ten feet away. Lloyd craned his neck, glimpsing Zelos between the ranks of guards. It was weird seeing his old friend in miniature form. The not-Chosen was bouncing happily next to an amused Sheena and Lloyd grinned as he recognized the puppy-dog expression the redhead was sporting: he'd seen that look enough times on Genis' face when the young mage was around Presea to know what it meant.

"Well, I was just wondering if they're typical of your village?" Seles prodded.

Lloyd shifted, the smile on his face fading. The conversation was starting to take a dangerous turn that Lloyd wasn't quite prepared to brave. Maybe he would have if the Professor were there to reign in his comments, but not on his own. Lloyd had had enough foot-in-mouth occurrences to know that his lies weren't worth two gald.

"Y-yeah…" He stammered evasively. "Sorta."

Seles must have sensed his discomfort, because she let the topic drop. The silence that fell between them this time was heavier and Lloyd cursed his luck. He _needed_ Seles to trust him. If she didn't then she might not believe him when he tells her he has antidote that would save the King.

Or worse… she might think he engineered the entire thing: the King's illness, Zelos' near kidnapping…

Lloyd paled.

"Look, Seles…" He backpedalled. "I'm really—"

"BREAK!" The unexpected call had Lloyd hopping and reaching for his blades. But when the soldiers around him merely halted their stride he relaxed.

"Okay, men!" Captain Werner strode through the ranks of his subordinates, making eye contact with each soldier he passed. "We'll take a half-hour's rest here, then it's on to Meltokio. Rest up, because we don't know what will be waiting for us. If the Princess has indeed betrayed the city then there's no telling how many of the guard she will bring to her side. We must be ready for anything—even battle." The man spoke the last part in a grave monotone.

"B-battle?" One soldier, a thin, gangly man, squeaked.

"YES!" Werner barked and the soldier who had spoken jumped. The Captain sought the man with his eyes and made his way over to him. "Our duty is to the King and to the people of Meltokio. Under no circumstances can we allow Meltokio to fall into hands that would do it ill. Even if that means fighting our own." Captain Werner gazed intently into the eyes of the trembling soldier, as though forcing will and conviction into him through words alone. It seemed to work; and Lloyd watched, amazed, as the soldier drew himself up, steadied himself.

"Yes sir!" The soldier promised.

"Did you hear that?" The Captain called to his company. "Are we all clear?"

"YES SIR!" Came the united response.

Seles noticed the impressed look in Lloyd's eyes and nodded her head. "Captain Werner had been the head of the King's Guard for many years now. He led the Battle of Meliai."

"The what?" Lloyd asked once they had settled themselves on the grass and broken out some bread and water. Ah, the simple food of life on the road: one thing Lloyd had definitely not missed.

"The Battle of Meliai. You don't know?" Seles looked incredulous when Lloyd shook his head, clueless. Seeing that Zelos was heading their way, she made a small gesture to her brother, telling him to go stay with Sheena. The female ninja had yet to prove her trustworthiness but this was a conversation she didn't want her brother listening in on. Besides, he'd still be in her sight and Sheena was surrounded by an entire company of heavily armed and trained guards. Not even a ninja could beat those odds. Still, Zelos spared a glance at Lloyd who, perhaps realizing the severity of what Seles was about to say, also nodded and gestured with his chin at Sheena. The brunet was a lot more trusting of the Mizuhoan ninjas than even she, Seles noted with interest.

"So…?" Lloyd prompted, once Zelos was out of earshot.

"The Battle of Meliai took place at the Meliai Mountains. You know, the mountains that parallel Fooji?" She clarified, upon seeing Lloyd's confused expression.

"Parallel…?" Lloyd's face scrunched and Seles wondered for a moment if the teen in front of her was actually trying to figure out what 'parallel' meant; but then Lloyd's eyes lit with realization. "Oh! Yes! Okay. Yup, what about 'em?" He munched on his bread and his eyes alone bade her to continue.

"There was a man, once, many years ago. It was before I became the Chosen. He… They called him the Butcher of Belladem." She recounted quietly.

"Butcher…?" Lloyd frowned.

Seles swallowed. "It… He led… a group of people. A cult. They were a religious sect… No… The correct term would be atheists. They were nothing but a group of barbaric hedonists." Bolstered by an inner fire, Seles lost her hesitancy and grew determined. Perhaps it was indignation; or perhaps she was drawing on her faith and resolution as the Chosen. The way Seles lifted her chin and squared her shoulders was an exact mirror to the posture Colette had taken when Lloyd asked her to stop the regeneration of the world.

"_I'm not going to die. When I become an angel it'll be like my heart is going out and covering the entire world. I'll be able to experience the regeneration with everyone. When I think about it like that, I'm okay."_

Lloyd's eyes softened as he gazed at Seles. This journey was going to poke and reopen each of his old wounds, so it seemed.

Seles, impassioned by her speech, did not notice the sad look Lloyd was favouring on her. "They renounced Martel, renounced the teachings. They called the Book of Martel the Book of the Dead. They said angels were lifeless zombies and that we were all fools letting ourselves be blinded by the sun."

Again, Seles was so caught up speaking that she missed the way Lloyd's eyes widened in shock.

"One day, they came to the city of Belladem. In those days, the Chosen, my aunt, lived there with her immediate family. My family. They came and… My mom was having Zelos and…" Her voice broke and she shuddered violently before burying her face into her hands.

"Hey…" Lloyd was shocked by the girl's sudden breakdown and he laid a hand on her shoulder. He could felt her shaking under his touch. "You don't have to continue. It's okay I—" Lloyd swallowed, stole a look around. Fortunately no one had noticed Seles' state, but it wouldn't be long before someone did. And Lloyd didn't think that reducing the Chosen One to tears would be very good for his continuing health.

"No, no it's okay." Seles uncurled herself and sat up straight. She trembled, but her eyes were dry, and Lloyd admired that strength. "It is an important story and you should know it.

"My family was the target of the raid on Belladem but that doesn't mean they were the only ones hurt. The Butcher and his followers razed the city so completely that to this day nothing but rumble and ashes remain. My aunt was killed. So was my mother. Zelos and I escaped. I barely even remember how…" Seles rubbed the bridge of her nose, collecting herself before continuing. "Werner—a commander at that time—led his troops against the Butcher of Belladem and he and his men killed every last one of those monsters. He was appointed Captaincy and hailed as a hero after that. A worthier title, I've never seen." Seles looked fondly at the Captain of the Guard.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was struggling to come to terms with a difficult concept. This wasn't his specialty: taking ideas and forming them into coherency. The Professor was good at that; and Kratos had often known what he was thinking even before he did. Regal was a great sounding board for frustration and even Zelos had some smart things to say every now and again.

But Lloyd was a person driven purely by instinct, impulse and conscience. He rarely had to think his decisions through because he always had a sense of what was right and what had to be done.

This however… what Seles was suggesting…

'_The Renegades did much the same thing when they came to Iselia. They killed the priests and they were going to kill Colette. We thought they were monsters, but really they were trying to prevent the restoration of Martel. They were killing in order to prevent more killing. Is that right? It can't be… But when we were on the Journey of Regeneration we killed Desians. To the Desians we were evil… This Butcher of Belladem… Was he a Renegade? But what are Renegades doing in Tethe'alla? Unless…'_

A horrible thought came to Lloyd and the emotion expressed itself freely on his face when he turned to Seles.

"You… are you going on the Journey of Regeneration?" His dread was so strong he could barely put any breath behind the words and they came out a choked whisper. He didn't want to hear the answer. He didn't want to hear—

"Why, yes." Seles answered, surprised. "Of course. The Day of the Oracle is supposed to come in a week."

Lloyd's mind blanked. He blinked, stared at the girl in front of him with a mixture of terror, shock and dread.

"What's the matter?" Her face creased in true concern but when she leaded forward to touch Lloyd's arm he recoiled.

"No. No! I won't do it again!" He jerked himself to his feet, stared down at the bemused Chosen. "I won't go through this again! You can't do this; you don't understand! What you're doing is—"

A hand clamped down on Lloyd's shoulder, spinning him around and forcing him to abruptly cut himself off.

"Hey—!" Lloyd started.

"So you're the new recruit, huh?" A vaguely familiar voice inquired and Lloyd frowned, scrutinizing the man before him. In his mid thirties or early forties, the rugged and sturdily build man was like no one Lloyd knew. His black hair was wild and peppered with streaks of silver and there was stubble covering his chin.

"Well?" The unknown man queried.

"Uhm…" Lloyd had completely forgotten his cover story and struggled to remember what exactly the man was talking about. Last night's conversation with Captain Werner slowly floated through his mind and Lloyd understood. "Oh! Yes, I am. Who're you?" A bit of bravado had made its way back into his tone as he stared brazenly into the elder's eyes.

The man laughed heartily, taking his hand off Lloyd's shoulder and stepping back before running his eyes up and down Lloyd appraisingly. "Very good. You've got a spine, boy. The new recruits always need a bit of man-ing up so I'm glad we can skip that with you. Though I'd pretty much pegged you for the brash type after your stunt near Sybak."

"Huh?" Lloyd stared, confused.

Seles had stood up by this time and walked around Lloyd to gesture at the barrel-chested man. "Lloyd, this is Commander Vern. He is in charge of training. Commander Vern—" She was about to introduce Lloyd, but Vern held up his hand.

"We've met." He said, sending Lloyd a knowing smirk.

"We have?" Lloyd was still very confused.

"Yes, I was the one you met near the Meltokio bridge, when you said that you were escorting young Master Zelos to Sybak. Word from the wise, boy, you're a terrible liar. I knew you weren't a soldier the minute you gripped your spear below its centre of gravity. And, no disrespect Milady Chosen," Vern inclined his head at Seles. "But your brother bites like the devil." He held up his right hand gingerly and Lloyd had to stifle a suspicious sounding snort with his hand when he saw the red half circle and tiny imprints of teeth in the fleshy part between the man's thumb and index finger.

"Oh dear! Zelos did that?" Seles cupped her hands around the hand. A few whispered words called forth a soft green light that fell onto Vern's hand before shattering and absorbing into the skin. Vern flexed his now healed hand, amazed at the power of the Chosen.

'_Seles can heal?'_ Lloyd wondered. That made sense, he supposed, since Zelos had been able to heal too. _'But Zelos could heal because of the Aonis, which he got from the Renegades. But Seles couldn't be with the Renegades. Wait… Seles has a Cruxis Crystal, right?'_ A quick glance at the jewel adorning Seles' neck confirmed that, indeed, she did have a Cruxis Crystal. _'Then, is Seles an angel? But what—how—argh… Too. Many. Questions.'_ Lloyd could feel his eyes glazing as he confused himself with his thoughts.

"So, boy," Vern turned his eyes on Lloyd, who found himself tensing at the strange gleam in the man's eyes. "How about a quick spar?"

"Commander Vern!" Seles admonished. "We're supposed to be resting!"

"Oh come, Milady Chosen of Mana. This is only a friendly bout between two mates. Right, Lloyd?" Vern cuffed Lloyd on the shoulder and the teen did his very best not to wince and rub the spot. "Besides, if I'm going to take this boy into battle I want to know his level of strength."

The humour had fled from the commander's expression and Lloyd stilled, growing serious in response to Vern's sombre tone. Vern didn't trust Lloyd, but he didn't want him to die either. If nothing else, Lloyd could respect that sincerity.

"Okay," The brunet shrugged. Then, realizing he hadn't had a good, non-life-threatening spar in a long while, he grinned. This could be fun. "Let's do it."

* * *

The soldiers had formed a ring. Everyone wanted to see Commander Vern face off against the new upstart. Lloyd wasn't surprised; the soldiers were probably hoping Vern would wipe the floor with him so they could get a few laughs at his expense.

Lloyd grinned as he drew his twin swords. Well, someone would be laughing, alright. In the crowd, Lloyd spotted Zelos looking at him in concern and winked at the boy, flashing him a thumbs up. The corner of Zelos' lips crooked in an unsure smile. The redhead was still painfully shy, but Lloyd's confidence must have been catchy because the tension in Zelos' shoulders ebbed away. Behind the boy, Lloyd spotted Sheena and he sent her an equally bright grin. She hesitated, probably wondering why he was looking at her, and her eyebrows rose. Lloyd shrugged it off; he'd make the ninja come around sooner or later.

Vern had slid his breastplate on, along with his gauntlets and shin guards. In his right hand he wielded a large broadsword with a lazy ease that spoke of years of hard training, and in his left he hefted a circle of metal strapped to his arm. He left the helmet aside, though; Lloyd guessed that he wasn't the only one annoyed by that claustrophobic-inducing metal cage.

"Aren't you going to put on any protection, boy?" Vern called from the far side of the circle.

"Nah." Lloyd beamed cockily and spun one sword in his gloved hand like a baton. "I just got out of that heat-box. There's no way I'm getting back in."

Vern laughed. "Well then, don't run crying to your mother when you get a cut."

An indecipherable look passed over Lloyd's face, "I won't." He promised lowly.

There was no sign to start. No one said 'Go' or even asked the fighters if they were ready. Lloyd and Vern were simply staring each other down at opposite ends of the ring one second and the next they were rushing each other. The audience of soldiers gasped.

"Ha!" Vern cried, slashing his sword forward in a vertical swipe. He aimed the hit to just graze Lloyd's stomach, and was prepared to pull the strike if the boy was too slow to dodge. But what Vern wasn't expecting was for Lloyd to simply not be there.

"Hyah!" Lloyd hadn't even waited for Vern to complete his strike. Exsphere blazing, the teen kicked off the ground and rose into the air with the grace of a bird—much to the crowd's astonishment. But instead of sweeping forward in one of his most devastating attacks, Lloyd allowed himself to fall. He tilted forward, felt himself flip in midair. He aimed a slash at Vern's back, which the man barely blocked, before twisting and landing cleanly on his feet, his back to Vern.

In an instant, Lloyd's sword flashed out behind him, neatly catching Vern's broadsword and holding it.

Vern was impressed, both with the youth's dexterity and his strength. "Well, looks like I'll have to stop holding back then." He commented.

"You do that." Lloyd mocked, smirking.

And Vern switched his grip on his sword, snatching it back out of the lock before jabbing forward. The teen easily hopped out of the way. Then, to Vern's shock, Lloyd struck his two blades together before bringing the right one up in a flourish, brandishing it over his head in show of either deplorably bad form, or taunting.

"C'mon, that's what you call your best? I know rabbits that move faster that!"

Irritation shone in the commander's eyes and Lloyd smiled, knowing he'd succeeded in ticking the man off. Vern looked to be a good fighter, but it'd be no fun if the man was overconfident or holding back. Besides Lloyd didn't need that kind of handicap. But now that he was fighting seriously…

This time, when Vern charged, Lloyd didn't pull any tricks. He ceased all playing and mockery.

'_Now this is a fight!'_

Steel rasped on steel. Sparks flew as the two combatants spun around each other. Every now and again, a blade would catch the sun and sparkle as it audibly hissed through the air. Zelos was entranced by the deadly dance and behind him he knew Sheena was too. Seles denounced the entire thing as immoral, violent behaviour, but Zelos ignored her. His eyes were trained on Lloyd who, for all the world, looked to be made of water as he slithered under and around Vern's attacks.

Lloyd held two swords to Vern's one—which Zelos thought was definitely a much cooler idea—but it was a strategy that seemed to require a lot of dodging. Vern would just hold up his shield whenever Lloyd attacked, but Lloyd literally had to jump, duck, and roll to avoid the Commander's sweeping slashes.

'_Still,'_ Zelos thought. _'I hope I'll be that cool when I get older.' _Although, he mused, Lloyd was pretty old. _'Maybe if I get Lloyd to teach me, I'll become better faster.' _Zelos nodded to himself, having resolved the conflict. _'Then I'll be able to protect Seles on her journey.'

* * *

_

Lloyd was thoroughly enjoying himself. The live steel made his blood thrum and the fact that Vern was actually an accomplished swordsman only added to the fun.

Vern was powerful: each swing had more strength behind it than Lloyd could manage himself. But all that armour and the shield weighed the man down. Plus, Lloyd had had a lot of experience fighting opponents who favoured the shield and sword style. Vern had nothing on Kratos' sheer blade technique and Zelos was more agile than this guy.

Threading around another series of strikes, Lloyd brought his sword up, only to have it repelled by Vern's shield. He dodged the man's riposte—moving to the side that held the shield—then kicked his foot out in a sweeping arc.

There was a dull _clang!_ And then Vern was watching amusedly as Lloyd hopped around on one foot. Sheathing one sword, the teen held the instep of his throbbing foot with his free hand.

"Ow, ow… Okay… That wasn't very smart." Lloyd's face scrunched as he berated himself. In hindsight, it had been a stupid idea, but Lloyd really hadn't been considering the consequences when he'd tried to sweep Vern's feet out from underneath him.

"Word from the wise, boy." Vern yelled. "Don't try to sweep the feet of an opponent who's wearing metal protectors."

"Yeah, I know that _now_." Lloyd grumbled. "Darned Meltokio Knights and their darned, evil, smelly armour—" He had to cut himself off to duck as Vern took advantage of his distraction.

"And never let your guard down either!" Vern continued.

"Oh yeah?" Lloyd retorted, shuffling backward. "Why don't you take your own advice?" And, with the tip of his sword, he pointed at a spot on Vern's neck.

Not understanding, Vern paused mid-stride. He brought his hand up to touch his throat.

"Well, I'll be damned." The man exclaimed, astounded, when his fingers came away bearing the slightest hint of blood. It was a small scratch, barely a nick, but it constituted first blood and thus made Lloyd the victor of the match.

All around, the soldiers were struck dumb at the audacity of the boy who dared defeat their commander. Zelos and Seles cheered for Lloyd, but the brunet eyed Vern warily, wondering what the man's reaction would be.

He was surprised when Vern let out a belly-deep laugh and strode forward to grip Lloyd's hand in a firm shake.

"Well met! I've never seen a lad move as fast as you. Your master must be very proud." Vern meant the remark as a compliment but nonetheless it struck Lloyd in a sore spot.

"I—uh—yeah…" He managed a weak grin, one that was more than made up for by Vern's overbearing exuberance.

"When did you make the hit?" The Commander asked.

"Oh, uh, after the second exchange. When you parried, I slipped my sword over your shield and clipped you." Lloyd explained, recovering from the earlier comment.

Vern considered Lloyd. "So you kept the fight going all this time even when you knew you'd won?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Well, yeah. I was having fun, weren't you?"

The two combatants shared identical toothy grins.

The soldiers were mumbling amongst themselves, sending him veiled glances as Lloyd turned away from Commander Vern. The teen was about to try and find Zelos and Sheena when he nearly bumped nose-first into someone's chest. Looking up, Lloyd saw Captain Werner staring down at him sternly.

"Everyone! Gather your things; we're moving out in five." The Captain called to the group. Then, in a quieter voice, he addressed Lloyd. "I know there's something odd about you, boy. As long as it serves our side, I don't care what secrets you keep. But know that if I get one word that you're stepping out of line, I _will_ take action. Understand?" It wasn't the threat so much as the bone-deep conviction in the man's tone that had Lloyd nodding vigorously.

Werner stared at Lloyd until the teen began to fight the urge to fidget. Eventually, the Captain must have found what he wanted in Lloyd's expression because he nodded. "Very good." He stated. "And maybe next time you would like to spar against me." Lloyd didn't reply; but then, Werner hadn't phrased the comment as a question. It was more a statement of fact.

"Until then," Werner continued, "stay away from the Chosen One."

And he stepped away, leaving Lloyd feeling oddly as though he'd just been raked over a set of spikes.

* * *

Meltokio was quiet. Lloyd had been expecting chaos, excitement, maybe a mob or two. But there was nothing. People walked by on their daily business and they greeted the soldiers as jovially as one greets the summer sky.

"Good morning sirs! I hope your outing was peaceful."

"You didn't run into any monsters?"

"Oh! Micha! Don't forget to drop by Izzy's to pick up your tuxedo! And don't forget to get a lilac tie; you have to match my dress!"

A few snickers and a very red soldier were the result of this last comment. But, for the most part, their trek through Meltokio was much too uneventful for Lloyd's liking.

He sidled up to Seles and, after making sure Captain Werner wasn't nearby, leaned toward her ear. "We're going to the castle now, right?" He muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

She nodded. "Yes, we need to figure out the truth about Princess Hilda and the Pope."

Lloyd nodded, then glanced back at Seles as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, uh, how come you're okay with talking to me? Captain Werner—"

"Zelos is a bit naïve, but he has a good heart. And I trust his judgement. Plus," Seles shot Lloyd a wry glance. "I want to know more about my little brother's new hero." Lloyd's eyebrow's shot up and a hand drifted to the back of his head as he laughed off his embarrassment.

"But enough chatting," Seles warned. "We're entering the Noble District."

Lloyd immediately sobered, his face serious as he looked ahead at the lush gardens and sprawling mansions. A hand slipped into his pocket and he palmed the vial containing the antidote that would cure the King. No smart and brilliant plan to administer it was coming to mind, though, and Lloyd sighed.

A hand touched his arm and he looked down in surprise to see Zelos staring up at him.

"The King is going to be fine, right?" The boy asked hesitantly.

Lloyd smiled and nodded definitively. "I'm sure of it."

"That's good." Zelos seemed unnaturally solemn and Lloyd tilted his head in askance.

"The King took me and Seles in after Mom died." Zelos explained. "Everyone else was afraid of taking us because they thought they'd get hurt. And the Pope told the King not to take us, but the King did anyway."

"Seles told you this?" Lloyd asked.

Zelos shook his head. "No."

"Hm?" Lloyd quirked an eyebrow.

"The Angel did."

Lloyd's blood froze and he looked at Zelos in horror. But before he could ask anything else, the group arrived at the Castle gates.

Lloyd swallowed, clutched the vial in his pocket tightly, then nodded to himself.

They opened the doors.

* * *

"Quick! Someone! Get her a doctor! There's no time to waste; the Princess is ill! Hurry!"

Princess Hilda had been found unconscious on the floor of the entrance hall and, upon waking, had been delirious, screaming about mind-possessing demons and the Pope. Conveniently, the Pope himself was nowhere to be found.

Everyone was bustling about with such frenetic disorder that Lloyd had no trouble inching around them and passing unnoticed into the King's chambers. There, emaciated and withered, the King of Tethe'alla looked to be in much the same condition as he'd been in the first time Lloyd had seen him in his own word.

Not wasting a second, Lloyd slipped around the side of the plush four-poster bed. The King lay under a heap of silk and down feathers; the show of luxury made him want to stand and gape, but with some difficulty he was able to refrain. Ignoring his surroundings, Lloyd moved straight to the man's head, gently sliding a hand underneath it and tilting it forward.

"W-what?" The King mumbled weakly.

"Shh," Lloyd soothed as best he could. "My name is Lloyd. I'm a friend of the Chosen. I have something that will make you better." He pressed the mouth of the vial to the elder's lips.

"The—The Chosen?" Like magic, these words worked their charm and the King drank compliantly.

Just as Lloyd was feeding the King the last few drops of the antidote, the door to the room slammed open and Captain Werner came barging through.

"You!" He yelled, pointing at Lloyd, who was looking very guilty as he held both the head of the barely-conscious King and the empty vial in his hands. "What are you doing to the King? Guards, seize him!"

"No, stop!" Lloyd cried out, nearly dropping the King as he held up his hands in surrender, but the guards simply grabbed him and wrenched his arms behind his back. One man kicked hard at the back of Lloyd's legs, making him fall to his knees with a grunt of pain.

"Please listen!" Lloyd implored. "I just saved his life! You've gotta—urgh!" His face jerked to the side as he was struck.

"I will not listen to your lies any longer, filthy traitor! First you bewitch the Chosen's brother to your side, then you try your guiles on the Chosen herself! I will not stand for it any longer!" The Captain advanced on the teen and Lloyd was sure that he was about to meet his untimely end when suddenly a small, redheaded blur attacked his side and attached itself to him.

"What—Zelos!" Lloyd cried, recognizing the younger version of his friend. "Get back, you don't—"

"No! I won't let them hurt you!" Zelos let go of Lloyd and, to everyone's shock, he stood before of the brunet and stretched his arms out to either side, blocking Lloyd from Werner's view. "Lloyd is strong. He's brave and he fights really well. He protected me from the Pope's men and I won't let you hurt him. He's a good person!"

"Master Zelos…" Werner faltered, unable to maintain his murderous gaze before an innocent child. "Please, Master Zelos, you don't understand. This person is—"

"You said you gave the King something to help him?" Zelos completely ignored Werner as he addressed Lloyd.

"Yeah—uh, yes." Lloyd nodded.

"Then I think we should check and see what happened to the King." Zelos declared.

"Indeed," A coughing wheeze had everyone gasping and turning to the bed. "Out of the mouth of babes comes the greatest truth. Zelos, good child, could you bring me a glass of water?" Everyone's eyes widened as the King, fully conscious, spoke lucidly for the first time since he'd fallen ill.

Zelos hesitated, looking at Lloyd, who was still being restrained on his knees.

"Go now, child." The King repeated and, dutifully, Zelos dashed off.

Captain Werner seemed to finally kick himself out of his stupor and he staggered to the foot of the bed. "My King!" He protested when the man struggled to sit up.

"Captain, I have always trusted your fair judgement. But this young man just saved my life; are you going to keep him on the floor all day?"

Lloyd was immediately hauled to his feet and, after a menacing order from Werner not to go anywhere, he was ushered out of the room in short order.

* * *

"You'll be staying for dinner, right?"

"Well, the King requested it, so…"

"And then you can spend the night! There's a free guest room next to mine!"

"Sure, sure, but I've gotta go cancel my reservation at the inn first. They give you a partial refund if you don't actually stay the night."

"Well, hurry up!"

"Sure, Zelos."

Lloyd chuckled to himself as he left the castle. Zelos was now more intent than ever to spend every moment glued to his side, goodness only knew why. It was strange how things had worked out. The King was healed and Werner had grunted that he was free to go, after which Seles had kindly healed the bruise on his cheek. On the other side, the Pope had disappeared and the Princess was claiming that she'd been mind controlled to do the bidding of the Pope for months. Apparently, the Pope had used some obscure religious ritual to possess her mind or something.

Lloyd wasn't too sure about this last part. Partly, it was because he knew Tethe-alla's entire religion was based on a lie, so that really put a damper on the whole religious ritual idea. Second… Well, Lloyd didn't really have a second, but the first was pretty good all on its own.

As the red-clad teen made his way down the street he failed to spot the figure watching him from above. Haloed by the yellow light in her room, Princess Hilda gazed down at the boy who had saved her father's life. The shadows fell across her eyes as her head bowed. Her arms crossed as she watched the boy disappear into the night.

* * *

Lloyd once again thanked the kindly lady at the hotel reception desk who had given him a full refund for his room.

"I'm sorry that I can't stay the night but you should at least—"

"Oh don't worry about it, my child!" The woman was practically shoving him out the door. "Everyone knows about the courageous teen who saved the life of the King! I couldn't take money from a hero!"

Lloyd spluttered—how did people _already_ know about that!—but before he could say anything more, the woman succeeded in pushing him through the threshold and, as she closed the door, Lloyd felt his balance go. He stumbled on a loose cobblestone and bumped right into someone.

"Oh! Sorry, I—" Lloyd cut himself off with a gasp when he saw who was that he'd nearly fallen on top of.

A mahogany eye trained on him insipidly. Auburn hair fell in jagged spikes across a pale face, obscuring the other eye from view.

"K-Kratos!" He stammered wildly. A voice in his head was yelling _Dad!_ But… This was not his… this was not the Kratos of his dimension… But…

A dark stare pierced him with an intensity that Lloyd found painfully familiar. For a moment, uncertainty passed over the elder man's face before it was replaced by a wall of calm. A streetlight above revealed that the man was cloaked in shadow—his old mercenary garb.

"Yes?" Kratos' voice was the same as Lloyd remembered it. Only it was completely void of any recognition. "Who are you to know my name?"

Lloyd's heart plummeted. He hadn't even realized that it had risen into his throat but now it was firmly residing in his boots.

"I-I…" Could he? No… He couldn't… This wasn't his… his _father_. This was the father of the Lloyd of this dimension.

_His_ father was on a comet somewhere floating aimlessly through space.

"I'm no one." And Lloyd brushed past Kratos roughly, nearly breaking out into a run in his intent to get away from the man.

Kratos eyed the spot where the strange youth had disappeared. How had that boy known him? He hadn't descended to this world for nearly a generation; it was unlikely that _anyone_ still knew him.

Well, the boy had come out of the inn; perhaps he could get a name, if nothing else.

Normally, Kratos would not have been bothered. A random child recognizing him on the street was hardly cause for concern. It was unusual, yes, but Kratos' reputation sometimes preceded him, carried by the wind as frightened voices told stories, warnings, of his deeds.

But there was something _off_ about that boy. His appearance: the shape of his face, his eyes and the colour of his hair, stoked old memories that Kratos often wished he didn't have. It was a human vice to be curious, but the whispers would not leave until he did something about them. And so Kratos surrendered to his weakness and stepped into the brightly lit inn.

The woman at the desk tittered, batted her lashes. Kratos didn't even blink; and he wasted none of his breath. "The boy who just left here, do you know his name?"

She stared blankly at him just long enough for him to wonder if she was dumb, but then coherency returned to her eyes and she gasped.

"Oh, the young lad? He's a hero, you know; he saved the life of the King!" She gushed.

"His name, please." Kratos pressed.

"Yes, right. I have it here," She pulled out a tall, thick leather-bond book, opened it toward herself and turned the first page, scanning it. "It's here somewhere… Oh and it was such a fascinating name; it's just on the tip of my tongue…" She flipped a page, and another page, and another… Kratos felt a muscle in his temple tighten, making his eye twitch.

"Oh, here!" She slammed the book down flat and pointed to a name. Kratos glanced down and abruptly forgot to breathe.

"Lloyd Aurion. Such a nice name, don't you think? And you know he even wanted to pay me for his unused room. As though I could take money from—"

"Yes, thank you. You have been very helpful." Kratos didn't even wait for the woman's response. He practically fled the inn.

Only once he was safe within the dark shadows of a narrow alley did Kratos allow himself to collapse against a wall. Gripping his hair, he tried to inhale, but the breath wouldn't come. He felt like he was suffocating.

'_Orgin!'_ He called within his mind. _'Origin, answer me!'_

'_**Seal of the pact. What do you require?'**_Origin's voice sounded faded, distant. Kratos had the distinct impression of an elastic being stretched over too long a distance, but he pushed the thought aside for a more pertinent one.

"That boy," He gasped, not even bothering to speak internally. "Did you see him?"

'_**I did.'**_

"Who is he?"

'_**He is as he appears. His name is Lloyd.'**_

Kratos didn't even notice Origin's omission of a last name. It was only too obvious to him. The hair, the eyes, Kratos had no doubt as to the boy's identity.

"But…" He didn't even realize he'd been sliding down the wall until he hit the ground. His hands fell onto his knees and he stared at his palms.

_Thunder. Sheets of rain poured down on the scorched soil. A clawed hand lifted up. Mutated, twisted, the thing dripped puss as it rose into the air._

Kratos' eyes slid shut as memories unwanted filled his mind.

_A flash of lightning. The claw slashed downward. A wail of pain—a baby's cry. And then there was only blood._

"My son… is dead."

**End Chapter

* * *

**

**Note from Baby Kat Snophlake: Thank you, Sholay! :D Awesome chapter! If you would like to take Sholay's lead and write the next chapter, feel free to email it to me at snophoenix at gmail dot com. Remember this doesn't update without everyone's support! Until next time, good luck!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

Sage here. I gotta say, this is quite the irony, that the one who started this arc gets to finish it… Yes, that's right. I said finish. We're finally going to be moving onto a new arc. What arc will that be? Don't ask me, I'm not writing it. In all honesty, it'll be a surprise to me, too. Anyway, I digress. We don't own ToS, we own the individual game(s) we all bought, we own this fic, we own this idea, and I own this chapter. Hahah. ;D Enjoy the last chapter of this arc!

* * *

Arc 1, Final Chapter 10 – Loose Ends Tied Up

Lloyd sighed under the helm, still wondering just how he was tricked into putting the armor back on. While it was finally cleaned off, it was still a pain to deal with. And now everything was going by so fast he almost could barely keep up. _'What did happen the past several days, anyway?'_ He thought, placing his hand beside his helm. He tried to snap his fingers but only heard the clanking of metal. Now he remembered.

The king, fully recovered, had fully knighted him for saving his life. Granted, it was an honor, but he really did not want to accept, not belonging in the timeline and all. However, the king would not take no for an answer. Ah well; he figured it was best. That way, he could make sure the world was saved.

Actually, that was bugging him. He had saved the king and helped Seles and Zelos, but Origin never came back for him. _'If he had come, it would've been a while ago… Maybe there are some things left to do…'_ he thought, continuing his walk through the halls. But he still had that sinking feeling in his stomach. What was he missing?

Either way, he had been keeping an eye on Princess Hilda. She seemed to be back to normal, but Lloyd knew better. After all, he did experience the hard way that looks were deceiving. But otherwise, things were oddly quiet. He had been working with Werner about locating the Pope. He sighed; Werner worked his men hard. Lloyd felt like he had bulked up a little, but if he did, he could not tell. He was out all day, every day, walking around and asking the shop keeps and other important figures about anything on the Pope; all while fully suited, of course. Werner did not want time wasted with everyone wanting to speak to the Hero of Meltokio. Lloyd fully understood, as he did not want to deal with it himself.

As he walked past Hilda's room, he heard the door crack open. He saw Hilda's head peek out. Lloyd swallowed. Had she known he was walking by? "Excuse me, Sir Knight, but I have need of you for a moment. Could you come into my room, please?"

Lloyd almost flinched but calmed himself. He had to do something to keep her from knowing it was him. "Alright." he said, deepening his voice. He hoped it was deep enough to fool her... He walked into her room, closing the door behind him. "What do you need, my lady?"

She turned around sharply, her eyes narrowed. He saw a strange glimmer in her eyes, but ignored it. "Before anything, I need you to keep quiet about what you hear. Understood?" Lloyd nodded his head. "Good. I need you to assassinate that hero, Lloyd."

'_So, she was faking the entire time…' _he thought, rolling his eyes. He was glad she could not see through his helm. Perhaps this sack of steel was still useful after all. "Your Highness, why?"

"Because he got in the way of everything." she said, waving her fan at her face. "You will do it, won't you? If not, that's okay… But I don't want you telling anyone or you're dead. I'll see to that." she said, reaching for a large bag of gald. "Well, what's your answer?"

Lloyd did not know what to do. Should he reveal himself and expose her plot? But then it would simply be his word against hers, and she would win. He had to think of something…

'_**Master of the Pact, look at her eyes.'**_

'_Origin!'_ Lloyd shouted in his mind. _'Where have you been? Am I done here?'_

'_**Of course not. Look at her eyes. She's still under hypnosis**__**.**__**'**_

Lloyd looked at Hilda, noticing that strange look in her eyes. _'You're right. But how did you know? Why help me now?'_

'_**Due to your efforts, you have caused this dimension to recover enough balance that I can now speak freely with you. It took time, but things are slowly returning to normal here.'**_

'_That's good, but what should I do?' _he asked, looking back at Hilda. He had placed his hand onto his helm, hoping to buy time. However, Hilda started tapping her foot on the ground. _'Should I take it?'_

'_**Yes. Better you being the only one knowing about this than having someone actually try.'**_

"I'll do it." He watched the smile grow on Hilda's face as she handed him the gald. "I assume this is payment in advance?"

"Yes. Please leave now. I don't want anyone to get suspicious." she said, waving her hand at him. "Oh, and hide the money somewhere."

"Understood, my lady." Lloyd said, placing the bag in his cuirass. He walked out of the door, looking down both ends of the the hallway. Spotting no one, he hurried out, closing the door. He rushed back to his room, bolting both locks. He lifted a small dresser and placed it by the door, just in case. He removed his armor and placed it on top of the dresser. He hopped into bed. He had to get his mind off of it… _'O-Origin, do you know where the Pope is?'_

'_**Sorry, Master of the Pact, I do not know. Even if I did, I could not tell you. I am only here to help you along on things too subtle for you to find, such as the hypnosis**__**.**__** So do not get used to this last minute help. I only intervened because your time was being wasted**__**.**__**'**_

'_Oh, okay…' _He closed his eyes; so much for leaving. He looked back at the door, half-expecting there to be a knock. He shook his head. _'So then Origin, can't we at least talk about this?'_

'_**I believe that would fall in my jurisdiction.' **_Origin paused for a moment to Lloyd's silence. Origin sighed. _**'As long as I do not decide for you, I can help you gather your thoughts.'**_

'_Okay, here's what I'm thinking…'

* * *

_

'_Alright, just say what we said last night…'_ Lloyd thought, walking down to the foyer. He was almost there when he saw Werner walking down the hallway. Lloyd stood at attention, knowing Werner would beat on him had he not. "Captain Werner."

Werner stopped in front of Lloyd. "Ah, Lloyd. At ease. I was looking for you." Great, more work. Lloyd groaned quietly; he hoped Werner had not heard that or he was in trouble. "We're going to the wall."

"We found the Pope, Captain?"

"I don't know, but the watch is jittery and I want to know why. We're leaving now, so walk." Lloyd nodded his head and followed him out of the castle doors.

"By the way, Captain, do you know if they did any tests on Princess Hilda for her health?"

"What are you getting at?" Werner immediately turned his head, staring straight at him.

Lloyd hated when Werner did that. It gave him chills; it was another one of Werner's ways of showing authority. "I-I don't know, I was wondering if she had any test to see if she was still under anything."

"I don't like the sound of that…" Werner said, raising his eyebrow and his eyes still staring at him. Lloyd suddenly felt cold. "The doctors didn't do anything like that. We'll take care of the watch and then check in with his Highness. Understood?"

Lloyd nodded his head. "Y-Yes, Captain." he said, looking toward the wall. There were more knights on patrol than usual. They reached the ladder and climbed to the top of the wall. Lloyd had not realized how high the wall was, but then again, he was never usually allowed on it in the first place. He reached the top and removed his helm to get a better view.

"Look!" Werner shouted angrily, pointing off into the distance. There was a large camp of men close to the city. It was settled close to one of the forest edges. "I can't believe that an army of that size sitting just outside of the city!" he turned to the knights on patrol. "I want scouts in that area, now! I want to know how they got that large undetected!" he said, watching as the watch scrambled about. Lloyd was going to follow, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. "No, you're staying here. You're not part of the watch, you're part of my platoon, remember?" he said, smacking Lloyd upside the head. "Now stand still!"

"R-Right, Captain!" Lloyd said, bowing his head. He winced, rubbing his head; no wonder the others respected and feared Werner...

"May I come up? I have information you seek."

Werner and Lloyd looked down to the ground. Lloyd gasped. _'Kratos…'_

"Who are you? Only knights are allowed on the wall, and I don't have time for this." Werner shouted down to Kratos, who had not flinched at the booming voice.

"I am a mercenary who knows why an army of that size is outside the city." Kratos said, folding his arms across his chest. "I can give you this knowledge, but in exchange, I want to stand on that wall to get a better view of what is going on."

"Absolutely not! How do we know you're not some spy for that army?"

Kratos raised an eyebrow, an irritated stare on his face. There was no time for this. "If I was a spy, would I snoop around for anything out in the open? Why would I ask to give you information if I was supposedly searching for it?"

Werner gritted his teeth. He had a point, and he wanted to get this taken care of now. "Lloyd, you and the others are going to move in and surround him. I'll let him up, but I want him dead if he tries to make a move. Understood?"

Lloyd nodded his head, feeling the sweat running down his face. He grabbed the spear on his back. Could he… Could he really kill Kratos? "Right, Captain."

"Fine, let him up!"

Kratos uncrossed his arms and walked over to the ladder, climbing it quickly. As he walked to Werner, Lloyd and the knights encircled him. Kratos looked at Lloyd for a moment and then turned to Werner. "I see this is how you accept aid from outside sources."

"Just spit out whatever information you have."

"Very well. Before I entered the city, I was approached by a pair of knights. They looked different from the knights I usually see around Meltokio and grew intrigued. However, their proposition was ludicrous." he said, turning his head toward the army outside the city. "They thought I would help them defeat the knights and claim the city in the name of the Pope."

Werner growled angrily, closing his eyes. "So that's the Pope's army."

"Yes. I later found that they were Papal Knights, the Pope's personal knights. But the bulk of his men are mercenaries hoping to score big by helping the Pope. I'm sure some even have a grudge against the knights and the Royal Family as well." Kratos said, shaking his head. "I do not have a grudge nor do I need such money. So I turned them down."

Werner crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. It sounded like something the Pope would do, now at least. "That all?"

"Not quite. From what I heard, they will be attacking soon. Given that I was asked within the week and given roughly five days to appear at the camp for instructions…"

Werner turned his head at the campsite, spotting a lone rider approaching the city. "…It means that they are planning to move today." he said, spotting a lone rider approaching the wall. He grabbed his shield and held it in front of him. "And who might you be?"

"I am a messenger for the Pope!" he said, turning his horse around for a quick escape. "The Pope demands that the Tethe'allan Royal Knights surrender and the Royal Family step down from power! In exchange, he will not harm the citizens of Meltokio and he will restore Princess Hilda's mind back to normal."

Werner turned back to Lloyd. "So you were right." Werner whispered to Lloyd, raising an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"I was heading back to my room when Princess Hilda's door opened. She wanted me to go into her room, but she didn't it was me since I wore my helm. She wanted me to assassinate, well, myself. I accepted so no one would kill me. But there was something strange about her eyes that didn't seem normal." Lloyd said, pausing. "Oh, I can show you the bag of money she offered me for taking the job if-"

"There's no need, I believe you." Werner said, returning his attention to the messenger. "And if we don't comply?"

"Then we will attack the city full front, burn everything we see in sight, and forcefully take the castle. You have until this time tomorrow to come to your decision." he said, galloping away before the archers could advance.

Werner pounded his fists onto the tip of the wall. "Dammit!"

"Captain, what are we going to do?" Lloyd wanted to do something to stop this, but he could not just sneak away without talking to Werner first; not unless he wanted Werner to have his hide.

Werner stared at his fists. "I don't know. We can't go out there and leave the city defenseless, but we can't just fight within the city and risk the citizens getting hurt." he said, staring out angrily at the army. "I will get that man if it's the last thing I do!"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." Kratos said, hand reaching to his sword. "I do not particularly need payment for this, if that is what you are worried about. I just felt that since I was already involved, that I would lend my services, cheaply, I might add."

"Why should I let you get involved in our affairs?"

"Do you have a choice? You are going to need all the help you can at this point, and I am offering." Kratos turned his eyes to Lloyd. "If it will ease your nerves, you could send that young man with me, to keep an eye on me."

Lloyd pointed to himself. "M-Me?"

"Yes, you. Your Captain cannot send too many men out, as he needs to fortify defenses within the city, do you not?" he said, turning to Werner, who grumbled angrily. "I see you will accept?"

"You're right. What choice do we have?" he said, turning to Lloyd. "But you're keeping an eye on him. I hear something happens to him, I'll kill you myself." he said, pointing to his sword. "Nobody hurts my boys and gets away with it."

Kratos waved his hand. "I assure you, nothing will happen to him."

"Lloyd, you alright going with him?"

"Yes. I'll go without my armor. It'll only get in the way."

"I don't care how you do it right now, I just want the Pope. We'll need a plan first. Let's head to a meeting place."

* * *

It was an awkward trip so far. While Lloyd was free from the armor and could use his swords, he was now with Kratos. Normally, he would have been happy, but they had not spoken once. Was Kratos testing him, or did he want him to speak first? Not having the courage to break the silence, he remained quiet. He turned his head and saw Kratos staring at him. "Y-Yes?"

Kratos narrowed his eyes. "Are you really 'Lloyd Aurion' or is that just an alias?"

"Huh?" he said, looking away. "Yeah, it is, why?"

Kratos simply stared harder at him, as if trying to peer into his soul. "The name 'Aurion' is quite rare these days, even in Tethe'alla. In fact, I am pretty sure I am the only one left with that last name. Not only that, I had a son named Lloyd. He died when he was an infant. Shall we try this again?"

Lloyd gasped and backed away from Kratos. "I died…?" he said, not realizing that he said that out loud; he heard Kratos gasp loudly. Lloyd widened his eyes in fear. What had he done?

"What… do you mean? Are you really… Lloyd Aurion?" Lloyd remained silent, looking away. "No more silence. I must know. Tell me."

Lloyd stared numbly at Kratos, eyes trembling. He quickly looked away again. He tried to find his words, since there was no avoiding it now. "I, uh… I have… two names. One is Lloyd Irving…" he paused, biting his lip. He grabbed his left elbow with his right hand, holding it tightly. "The other is Lloyd… Aurion."

"H-How…" Kratos looked away, tightening his fingers into a fist. Now was not the time. "We will continue this later. We have work to do." Kratos said, bending down and shifting the leaves. He turned his head to Lloyd. "I must ask - are you my son?"

Lloyd stopped shifting the leaves and turned to Kratos, a smile on his face. "If you mean I'm still your son, then yeah, I am, I guess. Just… from a different you, if you get what I mean…" he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I have a hard time explaining things." he said as he placed the trap into the pile.

"It is fine." Kratos said, placing another trap down into the pile of leaves. The silence reigned on as they continued working. He wanted to finish this first, but the questions were eating at his mind. His son was supposedly in front of him. How could he resist? Maybe… one more question. It may be beneficial to this mission. "What do you know about me?"

Lloyd stood up after covering up the trap, stretching. "Who you are, how old you are, about Cruxis… That kind of stuff."

Kratos felt slightly awkward at Lloyd's words; he did not expect that sort of answer. He shifted his gaze to the forest they were in; the foliage was darkened by the night. The treetops were thick enough to block the view of the sky, leaving the ground almost pitch black. _'Wait… How is he…?'_ How did Lloyd know where he was putting the traps? How did he know where to step and not blow himself up? Kratos looked downward. "Are you, like me, an…"

Lloyd knelt onto one knee to finish his side of the pile, a weak smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm an angel. Well, I have wings and all. But sometimes I still need to sleep and eat. I guess it hasn't started yet." he said with a shrug. "Anyway, I thought you wanted to wait talking about it?"

"I did say that, but I suppose I could not help it. I thought knowing a bit more would help us." he said, looking off to the side in order to find the next place to set up their plan. "Alright, over here, and be quick." he said, rushing over to another area of the forest. "Now it is time for these." he said, holding up the rope. "You cut down some branches while I get the ropes in order."

"Alright." he said, pulling out Flameberge; he did not want to use it carelessly, but he needed to finish this quickly and Flameberge's fire would help. He quickly climbed a nearby tree. After looking around, he quickly swiped through the first branch, catching it in his free arm. He gently lowered it to the ground and cut another branch. He continued until Kratos came over to pick them up, tying the rope to the ends of them.

"Alright, I think we have enough." he said, tying the last knot. "With enough force, this should knock them out, if not cause death." he said, placing them onto the thickest branch on the tree. "Can you handle these branches yourself?"

"Yeah, I think I can. I can at least lift them fine enough…" he said, jumping down onto the ground. "What's next?"

Kratos sighed, looking at the plans. "More trap placing, but do you need rest?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not really. I got a lot of rest earlier, and I can go a few days without sleeping and eating. I'm okay. I'm actually kind of excited… Besides, don't you have the hardest part? I mean, you have to fire that hand cannon, and you only have one shot."

Kratos smirked. "Do not worry about that. Since you would know me so well, you should know that I can operate anything."

"I suppose that's true. It's just… I never really… learned as much about you as I wanted to." Lloyd looked away, a frown exposed on his face. His thoughts turned to his Kratos. What was he doing right now? Was he okay? Did he leave… only to kill himself?

Kratos frowned. He half wondered what Lloyd meant, but something told him he did not want to know yet. "Alright, we still have a few more things to do." he said, placing his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. Kratos hoped it was enough to comfort him.

Lloyd looked up to see Kratos' hand on him, and it was surprising. Unfamiliar. Foreign. The only time he had seen his Kratos attempt to comfort him was when they found out how exspheres were made. Lloyd wanted to smile back. He wanted to call him 'Dad.' He wanted to know everything was fine. But he could not; he did not belong here. Plus would he be betraying his dad? His Kratos?

"Come, we have to hurry and finish our preparations." Kratos said, moving on to the next location.

* * *

"Phew…" Lloyd said, falling onto the ground. "I'm glad we finished this before Captain Werner left."

"Indeed." Kratos said, leaning back on a tree. "Though is he really your captain? I do not see how that would be possible."

Lloyd chuckled weakly. "Yeah, he is, actually. I'm on a mission and was told to see the King. I snuck into the castle and found myself in the armory. Not wanting to get caught, I pretended to be a knight. Long story short, they ended up believing I was a knight from the start after saving Seles and Zelos and promoted me from recruitment status. And I was assigned to Captain Werner for being the 'Hero of Meltokio.' I guess they thought that I should learn things from him or something." he said, rubbing his head. "Even though Captain Werner knows how to scare you, he's really a respectable man."

"I see. Though returning to before, if you know I am your father of sorts, how would you not know a lot about me?"

Lloyd looked away, trying to hide the saddened look on his face. "It's still a bit of a sore spot, really. I wasn't… raised by you. After we finished our journey with my friends, you decided to… go and leave with Derris-Kharlan. You left before I got to know a lot about you." he said, biting his lip to keep himself from crying. He bit even harder.

Kratos stared at Lloyd. So he had crossed a line, as well as hearing a confusing end to Lloyd's journey. He would have to ask about that later. "I am sorry. I did not know that was what happened." He felt his anger rising; how could he just leave like that? "I cannot believe that he would leave like that, leaving you to fend for yourself. He does not understand what he just gave up."

Lloyd felt a tear run down his face and wiped his cheek dry. He hoped Kratos did not see it. "You mean because I died?"

"Yes. I… would die if it meant being with you again. But it seems I don't need to." Kratos looked down at his trembling hands. It appeared that he was holding an imaginary infant in his arms. "When I saw that you had died, that I had lost everything, I became nothing. Eventually, I just returned to Cruxis, defeated." he said, his hands dropping to his sides, as if the imaginary infant disappeared. "I recovered and went on as if nothing happened. I had just come down to see if Yuan was actually preparing for the Regeneration Journey. And check in with Origin, which I had done right before coming here. Then I was to check the ranches."

"So, that's why you came down…" he said, looking away. So Seles was getting ready for the journey after all. He lowered his shoulders, thoughts drifting back to Seles. She had no idea what she was getting into. But the question was how could save her and still keep her trust? And not only that, but the Desians and human ranches were here? He shook his head when he heard Kratos cough loudly. "Sorry, got lost in thought…"

"So I see." he said, folding his arms across his chest. He ignored the look he saw. "Yes, however, I did not see him, so he must be still getting ready. As I was about to leave, I heard you call out to me. And you know the rest."

Lloyd sighed. "Yeah… It kind of slipped on instinct. It's gotten me in trouble a couple of times..." he said, curling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them. "I guess I sort of hoped that… there was something there. That you would know who I was."

"So you could learn about me?" he said, watching as Lloyd slowly nodded his head. Kratos sighed. "I have no son to learn about. If you will, we could learn about each other." He saw the confused look on Lloyd's face. "I know we are not exact family. However, regardless of that, we are still related by blood, until proven wrong."

Lloyd grinned, happy that the darkness was swallowing his tears. After a long moment of thick emotion, he choked. Kratos had suddenly enveloped him in a bear hug, one he'd never, ever have gotten out of him back on his world. After several more moments that felt long enough to fit three days into, Kratos released him. "Thank you," he said, sniffing loudly.

Kratos placed an arm over Lloyd's shoulder, rubbing his back. "No, thank you." He pulled him slightly closer so he could use both his arms to hug him. He looked down at Lloyd.

Lloyd smiled as he looked up to Kratos. So what if he was betraying his Kratos? Kratos betrayed him first by leaving. Two wrongs never made a right, but it still felt wonderful to know one Kratos wanted him as a son. And that never felt better.

"Would you like to travel with me for a bit before I visit the ranches?"

"I don't know if I can, with my journey and all…" Lloyd said, shifting his eyes away. "I'd need some time to find out."

"That would be enough."

* * *

Lloyd was excited. Nervous. It was time to start. He knew he was could do this, but that did not mean he was ready. He almost wished that Kratos would hurry up already. The silence was killing him.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Men were screaming, though in agony or anger, it varied. He was glad he was straddled across the large branch; he was afraid he would fall off when he lifted the branches. He just hoped that Werner heard the shot; that was his cue to move. He waited for men to show, the nearest branch in his hands.

'_Now!'_ He threw the branch when a couple waves of men ran toward him. He heard them scream as the branch swung quickly toward them, followed by the disturbing cracks of bones breaking. He saw them fall back onto the ground, wrapping their hands around their chests and screaming harder at their broken ribs. They crashed into the men behind them, knocking them down as well.

"Careful! There are trip wires somewhere!" One of the men said, looking around frantically. Lloyd almost laughed, but held it in. He slowly made his way to the next branch, making sure to remain quiet. Just as they were about to pass, he threw it. He heard skulls crack, the men in front now remaining still. He shuddered; seemed Kratos tied that one too high.

As he continued tossing branches, he heard screams in the distance. Seemed like they found the mine traps they placed. If only Kratos would show up and let him know how many men were after them. He figured he should just keep working until then. He threw the next branch, striking another line of men in the chest, and knocking those behind them down. There were still some left. Was this their entire force?

Another scream echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of a stabbing. He looked down and found Kratos behind them, killing them where they stood. Perhaps Kratos had led some of them to the mines. He rushed to the next branch, throwing it immediately after they stood up. He could hear their panicking screams as they looked around, trapped by Kratos and the falling branches.

They turned around to Kratos, getting onto their knees. "If you wish to live, then by all means, run. All you have to do is never turn your blade against the knights again." Lloyd watched as they ran for their lives, not knowing of the mines that were planted on their path. They only ran to their doom. Kratos walked over toward Lloyd. "A shame they blew themselves up."

Lloyd tensed a bit. "Aren't there others?"

"I took out about a quarter of them alone with the shot I made. Then over half of the mercenaries chased after me. By then, I had hidden myself until they passed me. They split up trying to find me and ended up stepping on a great deal of the mines we placed earlier."

"Oh." he said, raising an eyebrow. "So then should we hurry to Captain Werner then, or find out if anyone else chased you into the forest?"

"Let us head for the army base camp. You never know how the knights are fairing." Lloyd nodded his head, following as Kratos took off at a quick clip. As they ran for the camp, Kratos turned his head around slightly. "Oh, and excellent work with the branches, Lloyd. You did me proud."

Lloyd felt a blush growing on his face. It was awkward to hear Kratos compliment him like that. "Th-Thanks."

"Alright, let us hurry." he said, running further toward the forest edge. He could see the light shining in from the sun. "This way."

"Alright, alright…" They ran out into the clearing where the Pope's army was camped and found it a bloody massacre. Lloyd widened his eyes; he could see where the explosion Kratos caused ended up, a ton of corpses lining the crater. Blood was pooling into it, and he was sure some of the bodies were slowly sliding in as well. He turned his head and saw where some of the Papal Knights had fallen, along with a few of the Royal Knights. It seemed their diversion was a success.

"Stay here, I am checking for the Pope." Kratos said, running into the tent. He quickly ran back outside. "It would seem that the Pope has run off." he said. He suddenly turned his head to the side. "Lloyd, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, vaguely." Lloyd said, rubbing his ears gently. "My hearing isn't as good as yours, though. Did it sound like metal?"

"Yes, and it came from this way." Kratos spotted a carriage with both the Papal and Royals Knights surrounding it, fighting. "Lloyd, look. Come, we must help."

Lloyd nodded his head, unsheathing his swords. He looked around and spotted the carriage, the Papal Knights currently surrounding it. The Pope had to be there. But first, they had to get rid of the Papal Knights. While one was preoccupied with the Royal Knights, Lloyd slashed him in the back. The knight next to him turned to see his fallen comrade and quickly blocked Lloyd's strike with his lance, only to get stabbed by a Royal Knights. He turned to spot Werner. "Captain!"

"Hey boy, glad you made it back alive." Werner said, slashing the next knight beside him. "We have the Pope trapped in his carriage. Let's finish this and then take him back to the city."

"Right, Captain."

* * *

"Lloyd! I'm so glad you're alright. We were getting worried about you." Seles said, hugging him.

Lloyd flinched, hugging back hesitantly; his armor rang in the hall. He mentally sighed at having to wear it, but he technically was a knight here, and it was better to simply comply than resist. At least now he was allowed to go without wearing that helm. "Sorry for worrying you two. Where's Zelos?"

"He's outside in the courtyard with a couple knights, practicing with a dagger he had received. He really looks up to you and wants to protect me and himself. I've never seen him so energetic before."

Lloyd chuckled. "This I have to see."

Seles linked his arm with hers. "Well then, let's go." she said, walking down the hallway. She saw the confused look on his face and giggled. "I guess you aren't used to this sort of thing."

He blushed a bit. "Not really…"

"I figured. When walking around the castle with me or Princess Hilda, you must walk with them by linking your arm. It's etiquette."

"Ah, I get it… Thanks."

Seles waved her free hand. "It is nothing." she said, pointing to the door in front of them. "This way leads to the courtyard Zelos is at. Let's hope that we don't disturb him."

"Yeah." he said, pushing the door open for the both of them with his free hand. The sun shined brightly into their eyes; they covered their eyes with their hands. Once their eyes adjusted to the light, Lloyd found the knights standing on both sides of Zelos, holding their shields up. Meanwhile, Zelos slashed at the shields with his dagger. "He almost looks like he's having fun."

"It seems that way, though for better or worse, who is to say?" she said, walking closer to them and thus forcing Lloyd to walk as well. She hoped she was still out of sight, but she saw Zelos notice them. Quickly sheathing his dagger, he charged off to Seles, hugging her. "It's nice to see you too, Zelos."

Zelos chuckled. "Yeah. And Lloyd! I'm so glad you're safe!" he said, tackling him as well.

Lloyd gasped lightly on impact, laughing immediately afterwards. "Thanks, Zelos. Sorry to have worried you. I see you're training with a dagger now?"

"Yeah!" he said, pulling it out. "They say with my weight and height I can't handle a sword just yet, so they let me have this dagger instead."

Looking a bit closer, Lloyd could tell it was single edged. He figured it was best; they did not want Zelos to injure himself. "Hey, you should put that away if you're not going to use it. You don't want to get hurt."

Zelos blushed slightly, chuckling weakly. "Yeah… But I'm just glad you're back safe."

"Well, I'm glad to be back. And we have the Pope, too."

"Yes, I heard about that." Seles said, turning her head to them. "I also heard that some mercenary helped you, Captain Werner and the knights in capturing the Pope."

"Ah, yeah. He's staying at the inn right now, but I think his Majesty wishes to give him some reward for helping." he said. He himself had just gotten his reward for helping capture the Pope. He looked down at the sword strapped to his waist. He immediately felt his back, the shield sitting their comfortably. He smiled; the King really was generous to let him use a sword, even if it came with a shield. He did not truly know why the King gave him a sword, but at least he could use one now.

"Well, I must be off. Zelos, please make sure not to hurt yourself or the knights, alright?" Seles said, hugging him. "Lloyd, will you be staying here?"

"Yeah. I want to enjoy the courtyard for a while longer. I'll be over there enjoying the view, and watching Zelos practice with his dagger."

"Alright. Keep an eye on him, please, if you will." she said, waving as she entered the hallway.

Lloyd turned his head to Zelos. "Alright, why don't you head back and give it another go?"

Zelos nodded his head, a grin on his face. "Right!"

Lloyd watched him run off, deciding to jump attack the knight's shield. Lloyd laughed; he would have done that himself. He walked to the bench and sat down. At least it was away from the noise; it gave him time to think.

There was something about this dimension that made him feel sad to leave behind. He knew he had to leave, but… He was not sure what it was. The way his accomplishments were rewarded... Even when he and the others saved the king, all the wanted them to do was leave. But when he saved this king, he was promoted. Granted, he was never a knight to begin with, but that did not stop the king. Not that the king knew that.

And when he helped capture the Pope, the king commended and rewarded him with his sword and shield. It was all so foreign to him, getting rewarded for his heroics. But at the same time, it felt great; it felt like he was appreciated, that he was making a difference. And being a knight was not that bad once he got used to it. And not only that, he found a father here. This Kratos wanted to be his father. He did not give up on him; in fact, Kratos needed him. And that made him happy.

He half-wished he could stay. He sighed; Origin would never allow that. But perhaps he could extend how long he was here for, so he could spend some time with Kratos. But how?

'_**Master of the Pact, you have done well to save this dimension. This world will now flourish as it should.'**_

'_Thanks.' _

'_**Well then, shall we head out?'**_

'_We-Well, there are some things that I need to do here first.'_

'_**Like what? You know time is essential. We cannot have you lingering here when there are other dimensions hanging in the balance.'**_

'_I know, but I can't rush out of here without some reason. It wouldn't be right to just disappear like that, after doing all that I did here__.__ That would add some weird mystery or something.'_

'_**I suppose this is true. However, time is a factor, and you cannot stay forever. Fine then, I will give you a little over a week to prepare for your departure. Understood?'**_

'_Understood. Thanks, Origin.'_

'_**Do not make me regret this.'**_

Lloyd sighed contently. That bought him some time to spend with Kratos, and some time to figure out how to get himself out of here quietly. That did mean he had to continue his duties as a knight, though. Shaking his head, he got up; since he knew he was staying for a while longer, perhaps he should enjoy it. He walked over to Zelos and pulled off his shield. Maybe he could learn how to use it. "May I join?"

"Of course, Sir Lloyd. My arm was starting to get tired." the knight said, backing away. He placed his shield onto his back and watched as Lloyd took his place.

"Thanks." Lloyd said, positioning the shield to a height Zelos could reach. "Now come on, Zelos. Let's see how hard you can hit."

* * *

Lloyd wandered the halls, watching the maids bow their heads in recognition. He was getting used to this; perhaps that was a bad thing, he realized. He glanced at Hilda's door. Suddenly, the door opened and Hilda peeked out. "Oh, Sir Lloyd, excuse me." she paused, looking downward. "I was… just about to look for you. Would you come into my room, please? It is fairly urgent."

Lloyd felt a lump in his throat. Was she still under hypnosis? He doubted it now, but the possibility was there. He could not refuse her, though. "Of course, Lady Hilda." he said, walking into her room. "What do you need?"

She kept her head down, rubbing her eyes. "I must apologize. Not to have you on alert, but while I was under hypnosis, I ordered someone to assassinate you. I am trying to find that individual now as we speak, so I thought I should warn you…"

Lloyd sighed in relief. "Your highness, you don't need to worry about that. I was the one you asked. You just didn't know it was me."

She gasped loudly, placing her hand to her mouth. "Oh thank goodness! I was afraid the individual I hired would go through with it…"

"So you remember everything, my lady?"

Hilda looked up with watering eyes. "Yes, mostly. I… plotted to kill my father. I still cannot believe that I was tricked through such powerful hypnosis…" she said, tears running down her face.

"No no, don't be too upset by it. It wasn't your fault, and everything worked out in the end." Lloyd said with a smile, raising his hand. "Please, I know that you're upset, but there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh… Thank you, Sir Lloyd. You are being too kind…" she said, wiping her eyes dry with a tissue. "There is… something else I wish to ask of you…" she said, turning away to blow her nose. "I apologize, that was very unwomanly…"

Lloyd tilted his head, raising his eyebrow. "It's fine, my lady, but what else do you need?"

She looked away. "Well, I am turning seventeen soon. Time is running short for me to make a particular decision before I am forced into it. Father is allowing me time, but I do not have much longer. I suppose to get to the point… Sir Lloyd, you are a hero to Meltokio and the Royal Family, and serve us as a knight. You have favor with both the Chosen and Master Zelos. And thus I ask if you would take my hand in marriage and be my husband."

Lloyd gasped, eyes shooting wide open. "If that is too much, I would like for us to at least conceive a child so that we may have an heir for the throne." she said, sitting on her bed. "I understand I threw a lot at you at once, but please, give it some thought. I do not wish to have your response now."

"W-When would you like it?"

"I would like it within the month, if you are able. I thank you for hearing me out." she said, bowing her head. "You may take your leave, if you wish."

Lloyd bowed his head. "Thank you, Lady Hilda." he said, walking out the door. He needed to find Kratos, and fast. This was not what he had in mind when he wanted to stay for a bit longer…

* * *

Lloyd paced around his room. He looked out his window again. Nothing. He sighed, returning to his pacing. _**'Something wrong, Master of the Pact? Do you understand the consequences of your choices now?'**_

'_Origin! So you did know this would happen…'_

'_**Of course. You only learn when you experience them, do you not? I knew of your motives and chose to take care of this problem now. Unlike other worlds, this world is not as dangerous for you to stay in and learn from your mistakes.'**_

'_I guess you're right__..__. So now what?'_

'_**We remain on this course. You were right about vanishing so suddenly, and we must have time to prepare. However, I am willing to admit I am not happy with your reasons for staying**__**.**__**' **_Lloyd gasped, widening his eyes before looking away. So Origin knew... _**'There are other dimensions far more tempting than this one, and this is only your first mission. You must strengthen your will if you are to finish this journey.'**_

Lloyd sighed, throwing his head down. _'Sorry. It's just…'_ he said, turning his eye to the window. _'This Kratos actually wants me around__.__ I just thought I'd… spend some time with him before I left__.__'_

'_**If that was the case, you should have simply allowed him to accompany you.' **_Lloyd twitched his eye a bit, raising his eyebrow. He fell silent. _**'Not everyone you know can simply follow you and I will not allow permit it simply because you wish it. However, if they have a connection to any Origin, they can breach the time-space rift and travel with you.'**_

'_What? Then if that's the case, why couldn't my friends just come with me?'_

'_**Because only you and Pact Maker Sheena have a connection with me, and she is needed back on our world. You simply cannot leave our world defenseless, am I correct?' **_Lloyd slowly nodded his head. _**'At any rate, this Kratos has a connection to this Origin, and can technically travel with you. However, there will be times where he cannot accompany you, for various reasons. The choice, as always, is up to you.'**_

'_Why didn't I know about this sooner?'_

'_**Because you did not ask?' **_He hated when Origin had a point. _**'I must warn you, however. This ability is also granted to enemies as well, so be on your guard. But for now, we will have to discuss a way for you to get out of this predicament, and I believe Kratos can help.'**_

"You said you needed to see me?" Lloyd turned around to find Kratos landing on the floor, instantly withdrawing his wings. He stepped away from the window. "It seemed as if you had a problem. And because I am here, we should talk softly so we do not get any unwanted visitors."

"Yeah, and I do. It seems that Princess Hilda wants me to marry her. It's either that or have a child together."

Kratos raised his eyebrow. "She wishes to marry you? On what ground? It sounds as if she plans to have you marry her regardless."

"It's because I'm the hero who saved her and His Majesty and captured the Pope. And I have favor with Seles and Zelos…" he said, placing his hand onto his forehead. "I've become too famous."

Kratos chuckled darkly. "So it would seem. And you must continue with your journey, yes?"

"Yeah. We have a week to think of something so I can leave without any kind of trouble."

"I think we can come up with something." Kratos said, folding his arms across his chest.

Lloyd turned to Kratos. "Oh, and I… spoke with my world's Origin. He said if I choose to and want to, we can travel together on my journey."

Kratos gasped, lowering his head. "So Origin was right. He said the same thing."

"You can speak with Origin too?"

"I am the seal, after all." Kratos paused, looking away. "I would like to go, but I do not know what would happen if I suddenly vanished from here."

Lloyd shifted his eyes away. "Well, we have time to think it over, since I'm still staying here for a bit longer. We can decide then."

"Alright."

* * *

"What? What do you mean he is…?" Hilda shouted at the messenger, eyes fully opened.

"During his investigation of resistance activity in the slums, an explosion occurred. His body was charred beyond recognition, but we have proof that it is indeed him." The messenger bowed his head. "I am terribly sorry, my lady."

Hilda lowered her head as tears fell down her face. "I… I understand." she said, waving the messenger to leave. She stumbled over to the king. She collapsed onto the ground, one of her heels flying off her foot and her head falling onto his lap. She paid no attention to the pain on her ankle. "Father, I… cannot believe he can be gone…" she said with a sob, burrowing her face. "I… no… This cannot be… happening…"

The king rubbed Hilda's back, a frown on his face. "I am truly sorry, Hilda. I know how much you felt for him. He was an amazing young man."

"I… I do not know what to do… I… I was actually happy when he was nearby. I truly felt…" she paused, continuing to cry. She looked up at the king, her make-up slowly beginning to wash away and becoming a mess. Her eyes were already starting to become swollen. She gritted her teeth. "Why? Why…? Why did he…have to…?" She slid off of the king's lap, crashing onto the floor. She pounded the floor with anguished fury, ignoring the numbing of her hands with each blow. "Why?"

The king called for one of the maids. "Please, get me the doctors. I believe she may have hurt herself." he said, turning his head away. "Also, send a message to the Chosen and Young Zelos, please. I do not know where they are on the Regeneration Journey, but… Send the message to Sybak, and have them wait for further instructions if they are not there."

"Right away, your Highness."

He stared quietly as Hilda pounded the floor again. He wished there was something he could do to make her feel better again. But nothing would ease her pain right now. And that stung more than anything else.

Hilda pounded the floor one last time before collapsing fully onto the ground, too tired to even stand. She continued to cry, her sobs echoing mournfully through the throne room. "No! Lloyd…" She then fell silent, unable to move, unable to speak another word. Only silence. Tearful, choking silence.

* * *

"Are you sure you won't be linked to the explosion?" Lloyd said, looking back at Meltokio. He was half-sad to see it so far away, but he had to move on.

"Yes, do not worry. I did not wear these clothes and kept my head hidden. It is a bit embarrassing, but I have done something like this before."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Really now? I wouldn't have guessed…" he said, his left eye twitching slightly. He really did not need to know that Kratos knew how to be an arsonist. "But are you sure that they won't be heading to the Temple of Darkness first?"

"Of course. We always sent them off to the Temple of Earth first, being the closest and easiest. The Temple of Darkness is more challenging, so we normally save it for last. Either way, we are fine."

"Okay." Lloyd looked down at the wingpack Kratos gave him, his armor and weapons within it. It was a good thing he could keep them; they may be useful later on, even if he had to wear that armor again. Which hopefully would not happen soon. At he could take what he learned here for the next time around. _'Origin, are you ready?'_

'_**Yes. Have you made a choice regarding Kratos?'**_

'_Yeah. Where can we meet?'_

'_**We can meet here.'**_

"Kratos, Origin said we can land right around here." Lloyd said, looking down for a clear landing. He dived downward before he swung upward slightly; Kratos followed. His wings flapped to steady him before landing. "Anyway, would you… like to come with me?"

Kratos turned his head with a smile. "I would, as long as I am able to show myself here every so often to keep Yggdrasill and Yuan off guard." he said, looking up toward the sky. "I should be fine now, since I returned to Derris Kharlan briefly."

"But won't you get in trouble later?"

"No, they are aware of me vanishing for months at a time. I usually have to check the maintenance of the Desian ranches after all, and I can do them whenever I wish. Yuan usually vanishes around this time, though now he has an excuse with the Chosen's Journey. And Yggdrasill finds the task unbefitting him, so he does not give time restrictions."

"So only you actually do it…" Lloyd said with a sigh, shaking his head. "But Origin said you can't help me sometimes, but for what reason, I don't really know. All I know is that you can head back here then." _'Can he?'_

'_**I can manage that.'**_

"Yeah, Origin can send you back here every so often. So then will you come?"

Kratos smiled. "I told you, as long as I come back here, I will go with you."

"Alright!" Lloyd said with a grin, pumping his fist into the air. "Let's get going then!"

* * *

**Note from the Headmistress:** Hey ya'll! This is how the new arc is going to work. The options are purely open. Think of a new world with new possibilities and write about it. The voters will look over the new chapters and vote for the one they like. If there's only one chapter, obviously we'll be following their lead, so if you don't like it, change it! Have a hand in the fate of the story and write with new ideas! The only thing you'll need is to have the following written as an intro to your chapter (and these will not be posted with the final chapter. Anyone who has interest in writing the next chapter throughout this arc will be given these notes): 1. The differences between the cannon world and your new world (such as Seles being chosen), 2. The issue with the world (why is it failing?) 3. The solution to the problem (what has to be done to fix it?). Also bear in mind what Lloyd has already experienced in previous chapters. To keep it all straight, I am working on compiling notes for someone to receive when they express interest in writing the next chapter. If you have any questions, come to the forum, PM, or Email Snophoenix at gmail dot com. As always, have fun! And remember, without participation, this story will not update! :)

-Snophoenix


	11. Chapter 11

The Eternal Sword hummed in his hands, vibrating through the red gloves on his hands. Origin told him to have Kratos grab him by the shoulder, as if the elder man was about to lecture him. It was a position he was familiar to, Professor Sage having done this before when she was admonishing him for some prank or other such stupid act of childishness that he'd pulled off.

The air around him and Kratos hummed as the particles of light emanating from the sword created a bubble around the two of them. A bubble of light that pulsed brightly for little less than a second. During that fraction of time, Lloyd blinked and when he opened his eyes again, the scenery had changed.

As the sword cycled down, reabsorbing the bubble of light and losing its bright glow, Lloyd released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Kratos released his shoulder and began to look around the small clearing in a grouping of trees that they'd appeared in. The sky above was red and pink with dawn or dusk, Lloyd couldn't be sure.

"That was... impressive," Kratos said. "Though I'm not too surprised, considering what it was the Eternal Sword. I'm... proud to know my son would end up becoming the new Eternal Swordsman."

Lloyd blushed and said, "Yeah... Dad was-that is, my Kratos, was really proud of me too... though that didn't stop him from leaving."

"If he's anything like I am, or had anything like my life," Kratos said, "then I know for a fact that he's the proudest father in the universe."

Lloyd smiled and turned away from Kratos to hide the tear that ran down the side of his face. He pushed his emotions to the side and lifted the Eternal Sword in front of him. He made a small pulling motion on the hilt with both hands, pulling left with his left hand and right with the other. Instead of being futile, the Eternal Sword diffused into the Vorpal Sword and the Flamberge.

Kratos watched curiously, glancing at his own Flamberge during the event. When it was all said and done, the Material Blades sheathed at his waist, Lloyd turned back around and took a deep breath. This was a new world with a new task that promised another adventure, after all.

"Let's go see what this world has in store for us," Lloyd said.

Kratos smirked and nodded, gesturing for Lloyd to lead the way with an out stretched arm. "After you."

"Right," Lloyd said. "Oh yeah. Before we go we should probably ask Origin what he knows. Maybe he has a clue as to what needs to be done."

"A wise choice," Kratos said. "My other self must be proud indeed to have such an astute son as you."

Lloyd chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his neck, a feeling of shame enveloping him from behind. Kratos arched an eyebrow curiously and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"I... wasn't always the best of students," Lloyd admitted, glancing to the side to avoid eye contact. His Kratos or no, the man's eyes were hard enough to cut through diamond.

"I see..." Lloyd was sure Kratos was about to admonish him, but instead he said, "However, that isn't important now. You're alive and well, so you must have learned whatever lessons my other self was teaching you one way _or another_."

The way Kratos said those last two words made Lloyd shiver. This really was Kratos, he realized. Even if he was nicer to him and more affectionate than his own father, this man was more than likely no less a tyrant when teaching a student.

"Origin," Lloyd said. "Hey! Can you hear me?" He waited for several seconds. That turned into a minute. That turned into ten minutes.

"Perhaps you require the Eternal Sword in its real form to communicate with him in this dimension," Kratos said. "Unless... something is blocking the communication."

"Maybe..." Lloyd went to grab the hilts of his swords when he heard a scream. It sounded like a girl screaming, or perhaps a small child. Lloyd looked at Kratos and it took only milliseconds for the two of them to bolt from the clearing.

Kratos took the lead, leaping in the air and unsheathing his sword as his feet left the ground. He did a summersault and landed on top of a huge mountain of a man swinging a ball and chain. The blow knocked the man backwards onto the ground with a loud thud, the ball and chain flying from his huge meaty hands.

Lloyd went to do the same move, but his ribbons caught on a tree branch. The twin ribbons choked him and pulled him backwards. He hit the branch, knocking it away. As he went to pull his ribbons free, the thick branch snapped back and smashed into Lloyd's head, knocking him out cold, face mashed into the dirt.

Waking from unconsciousness was like a cold splash of water to the face. In fact it was a cold splash of water to the face. He sputtered and coughed as he floundered around. When he finally got his bearings back, Lloyd wished he was unconscious again.

Staring straight at him was none other than himself, Genis, Colette, and Kratos behind them. For a moment he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if he was hallucinating. Maybe that blow to the head had done some damage to his brain.

"This is awesome!" The other Lloyd shouted. "I thought you were kidding around, Mr. Kratos, but here he is! Another me! Wow! It's like I have a twin! Yeah! A twin brother!"

Colette watched, but was clearly unimpressed. This was odd to see, because Lloyd didn't think it was even possible for Colette to be anything less than moderately happy. His Colette... was always smiling. This Colette was frowning. Scowling even. Scanning him with eyes cold and alien. Blue orbs that were startling to watch for too long because it made him feel like he was going to freeze to death.

Then there was Genis. He looked... shorter, somehow. Timid. Gone were the wise cracks and the derisive attitude. And the fact that he was hiding halfway behind Colette's back and wore purple versions of his blue clothes drove home the difference.

"I must apologize," Kratos said. "They followed me when I came to find you. Had I known you were unconscious instead of hiding from your other-self, I would have come alone. I was expecting you to have left a message on where to find you once I was free of these children."

"Hey! You can't leave us behind!" The alternate Lloyd exclaimed. "You're our guardian now! Phaidra said so!"

"Hmph," was all Colette said. She rolled her eyes though, adding to Lloyd's suspicion that she really didn't give a rabbits fuzzy tail what Kratos did.

"I... It's... Uh..." Lloyd tried to form a sentence but the words wouldn't come to him. He was confronted with a scene he'd wished many times would have replayed. Just the four of them, sometimes with Professor Sage, together again. Back when everything was simple and Kratos was 'just another mercenary'.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" the other Lloyd asked loudly, getting up close and into Lloyd's personal space. Nose to nose, his other-self asked, "Are you sick or something? Did you hurt your head that badly?"

"Lloyd," Colette said calmly and almost too quietly to hear. The other Lloyd, though, immediately stilled his rambunctious form and glanced behind him to the blond girl. His shoulders slumped during this silent exchange that took place between their eyes. "What did I tell you about getting into other people's personal space?"

"Oh... yeah," the other Lloyd said. He turned back to Lloyd and smiled in a way quite similar to the way his Colette did and said, "Sorry." Then the boy stood up and backed away, but he looked sad through the mostly genuine smile on his face.

Lloyd shook his head and forced himself to blink. It was like all of their personalities were mixed up. What in the world was going on? Origin wasn't answering either. Something was really _really_ wrong here. Or... it was perfectly normal, for this dimension. Better to start where he knew he could get answers.

"Kratos," he croaked, "What happened after you jumped out of the bushes?"

"He totally kicked Desian butt!" the other Lloyd enthused. Colette shot him a look and he quickly lost his excitement.

"As the young man puts it," Kratos said, giving the other Lloyd a pitying glance, "I defeated several Desians attacking the Martel Temple. We appear to be just outside of Iselia, though these children seem to be determined to call it E-selia. This young lady is the next _Chosen of Regeneration_. She was headed to the Temple to receive the Oracle when she was attacked by the Desians. Unfortunately, the Desians had killed the priests that would have normally guarded her from the monsters in the temple, so I was asked to protect her instead, at least for the journey through the temple."

Lloyd frowned. This was _too_ much of a coincidence. Origin did say some dimensions would be almost exactly the same as his. But this... it was almost like time had rewound to the very genesis of his journey. It even played out in the same way.

But as he looked up and at the group before him, he realized that this situation was completely different from what he experienced. This Kratos wasn't his father, as much as he'd like him to be. He was too… nice? Understanding? Forgiving?

And then the trio from this… E-selia. They weren't him and his friends. And if anything, the fact that he was facing a younger version of himself kind of nailed home the fact that he wasn't on his world anymore.

"Right," he said after a long pause. "Shouldn't we be getting Colette to the Oracle then?"

Colette's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?" she demanded. "You may look like Lloyd, but you're not him. Clearly."

Lloyd sighed. Today was going to be one of _those_ days. He hated those kinds of days. He didn't want to delay the events that needed to take place any further either. So, in the interest of saving time and having less of a headache to deal with, he said, "I'm Lloyd Irving, but not your Lloyd Irving. In my world, Colette Brunel was the Chosen of Regeneration and since Kratos said that's what you are, and you look exactly like my friend Colette, I put two and two together."

Colette arched an eyebrow but remained silent, casting a skeptical look at him. His other-self grinned and hopped up and down a few times. Genis just pulled behind Colette.

"Nevertheless, Chosen," Kratos said, breaking the silence that was quickly becoming uncomfortable, "Lloyd is correct. We should get you to the temple so that you can receive the Oracle."

Colette sniffed, shifting her penetrating gaze away from Lloyd and toward Kratos. With a nod, she turned and walked away, Genis clinging to her white coat and his other-self bouncing along behind her. Kratos shifted on his feet and gave Lloyd a sidelong glance.

"I think for the time being it would be a good idea to remain out of site," he said.

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed, getting back to his feet. He rubbed his forehead and winced as he felt around the growing welt there. "There are already too many questions and no one has any answers. Not to mention that we've got other issues to deal with, like why Origin isn't responding to me or you."

"Indeed," Kratos said with a nod. "I believe it would be wise to split up at this point. You should go search for Origin while I play the part of mercenary escort for the Chosen. We can cover more ground that way and keep up appearances. And now that the kids have seen you, it wouldn't be a good idea to let them run the risk of something slipping out." Lloyd nodded his head in agreement as Kratos continued to speak. "I believe that the first seal we'll head for is the Fire Seal in the Triet Desert."

"Yeah," Lloyd said. "That sounds like a good plan. In my world, we went to the Fire Seal first too, then Water, Wind, and finally the Light Seal. After releasing the seals, we went to Hima where we got dragon rides to the Tower of Salvation. If you stay on that path, which took us almost a year to complete, then I should be able catch back up to you once I find Origin and figure out what's going on."

"A year sounds about right. Where will you head first?" Kratos asked. "I would suggest the Origin's Tablet itself, but there's no way of knowing if you can breach the dimensional barrier between the worlds or if the elves would let you into their sacred forest."

"My first mission, then, will be to get to Tethe'alla," Lloyd said, with a nod. He turned and started walking in the opposite direction of the Martel Temple. Kratos did the same, but in the direction of the Temple. "After that I'll just have to figure a way in. Maybe I'll just fly in. Good luck." That last part he called over his shoulder just as he pushed past a large bush. Behind him he heard Kratos say something similar.

The woods were shockingly similar to his own. No, maybe a better way of describing it was surreal. This world was so different and so similar at the same time. It was giving him chills. Shivers ran up and down his spine as he saw trees he could remember carving his name into along the path to and from his house.

Only here the carvings were much more sloppy and without direction. Some looked more like blobs than anything legible. Could he really be that dumb in this dimension?

Still there and still operating was the Human Ranch. He had to force himself not to go in and bust it up, knowing both that it would get him noticed and that he was probably dooming the people inside to die horrible deaths as they were transformed into Exspheres. It was hard, but by steering completely clear of the Ranch and taking the long way around, he was soon on the edge of the woods and on his way out onto the Iselian Plains.

Oddly enough, there were no monsters anywhere. Not in the woods, nor on the plains. Back home, he'd have seen monsters everywhere, going about their business. But here… it was like there just weren't any monsters at all.

And despite that discrepancy between his own world and this one, the hairs on the back of his neck indicating danger weren't going down. He cursed himself when he realized that he was getting the strange feeling in his gut that he usually got when about to be attacked. That feeling like he was being watched. The whole trip through the woods, he'd been ignoring that feeling and instead wondering at how everything was the same and different.

Now that Lloyd was focused, he reached down to his swords and unsheathed them. The Material Blades glowed in the early afternoon sunlight. Focusing on the feeling in his gut, he readied his stance and tightened his grip on the hilts. Looking back and forth, listening to the breeze on the tree canopy, smelling for anything that was out of the ordinary.

There it was, the smell of sweat. Sweat and hair. Those were usually the two things you smelled from people. And this one wasn't too smart since he was stalking Lloyd from up wind. Then the idle thought entered his mind that possibly this guy knew he was tipping Lloyd off and wanted him to know that he was being stalked, taking joy in the hunt.

Either way, he was done playing this guy's game. "Okay," he said, "I know you're out there. Come out where I can see you!"

"I see, so you knew that I was here." The voice that spoke was at once familiar. The matching blue hair framed face that went with the voice appeared quite suddenly, having stepped from behind a tree two feet behind Lloyd. Lloyd frowned, lowering his guard a little at the familiar presence. "Hmph, you're not much to look at, are you. Imagine my surprise to find not only one, but two of my long dead friend's children in the area where I was to pick up the Chosen. And not only that, but to find my dead friend is actually alive and well. This day just can't get any more… Let's just call it a game changer."

"Yuan," Lloyd said. "What are you talking about? Who's your dead friend, and… wait, did you just say that you were headed to protect Colette?"

Yuan tilted his head with a frown creasing his brown. His sharp eyes were watching him closely, sizing him up or trying to decipher him. Or both. Finally, Yuan said, "I suppose your father was the one who told you who I am. Though I'm a bit confused as to how you knew what I looked like. No matter. If Kratos could pretend to be dead for 14 years, then he certainly had the guile to take a picture of me without me knowing. But enough of this bantering. I need you to take me to see your father. He and I have much to discuss… …like how he survived Mithos killing him." That last part was whispered, but Lloyd heard it clear as day.

Putting everything together, Lloyd assembled a quick summary of what took place in this dimension in his head. This dimension's Kratos had died, fourteen years ago, or he'd led everyone to believe he was dead. It was hard for him to believe someone like Yuan would think Kratos was dead if he really wasn't. Especially, if what Yuan said about Mithos being the one to kill him were true.

Then there was the second part about Yuan being assigned to take Kratos' place in the World Regeneration Journey to ensure that Colette succeeded in releasing the seals and became Martel's vessel. That would probably mean that Yuan wasn't the one running the Renegades, since he probably would have just let his men kill her without putting up more than a token effort to stop them. But that left one question which was now nagging at him.

"Why are you talking to me instead of Kratos," Lloyd asked. "If you need to see him, then why don't you just go and talk to him instead of going through me? He should still be over at the temple right now."

"I would have," Yuan said, nodding. "In fact, I was on my way to do that very thing when I noticed one very odd warp signature that showed up on my scans of the area." Yuan pulled out a small device with a round screen from under his cloak. On the screen blinked several indicators. The one at the center was blinking the fastest and the brightest. "It disappeared quickly when it happened, but the energy trail leads straight to you. And now that I'm close enough to sense it myself, I find that it's a very unique signature that hasn't been seen since your father left us 14 years ago." Yuan paused after he said that, frowning at Lloyd as if he were seeing something that wasn't there before. After a moment of staring, he shook his head and continued speaking, "When he did that, Origin was set free and hasn't been seen since. Yours is the first trace of Origin since then. That, I'm afraid, is a bit more important than talking to your father at the moment. As you said, he's in an easily reachable place. You on the other hand... I had no idea where you were going, so I chose to follow you. Now, it's my turn to ask a question. Do you know where Origin is?"

"I'm sorry, but that's actually what I was going to go find out. I haven't any idea where he is either," Lloyd said shaking his head. Yuan frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

'_So in this world_,' Lloyd thought, '_Origin has been released from his seal and went missing. That might explain why Kratos and I can't contact him. Hmm… that will make things a bit more difficult. Where would the Lord of all Summon Spirits go to hide out?_'

"I suppose there's no use pushing the matter," Yuan said. "I think I'll go talk to your father now. He may know of where Origin would go to when he was released, seeing as he was the seal for the last 4000 or so years. Also, he should be made aware of how the situation changed after he... died. I don't think your father noticed that those Desians he was fighting weren't with Cruxis anymore."

Lloyd nodded. "That's a good idea- wait, what?"

Yuan glanced sidelong at Lloyd curiously. "Just how much did your father tell you about ancient history anyway?"

Lloyd shook his head and sheathed the Material Blades. "Never mind," he said, "whatever it is you have to say to Kra-err Dad, it's probably best that we all hear it at the same time so you don't have to repeat yourself. We'll need to be discrete because... uhh... my twin doesn't like being seen with me... uh... and... father doesn't want it to be known that there are two of us."

Yuan nodded. "Lead the way."

* * *

Written by: I.K.A. Valian

Beta by: Sno Phoenix Group

Author Note: This being the introduction of a new arc and the first dimension based in Lloyd's home, I wanted to emphasize the fact that Lloyd is exactly _not_ home. Sure everything looks the same on the surface, but scratch that surface and it's clear that nothing is the same underneath. Hang onto your hats, ladies, gentlemen, and wookies everywhere, this dimension's going to be awesome ride.

Katnote: Thanks V! And thank you to our new member Moonlight M3lody for her submission as well! :)


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: There are so many things in my real life trying to prevent this chapter of being finished, but here it is. I hope you like it, Happy belated Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

* * *

As if the world had been frozen, no sound could be heard in the background, including the usual birds' chirp and monsters' step. Like the world itself had fallen into an abyss of silence. The two people, both definitely out of place, a strange pair, proceeded somewhat awkwardly to the village of Iselia. Two people, both deep in thoughts.

Yuan followed Lloyd's uncertain steps with a set of firm step of his own. His suspicion for Lloyd has yet to cease, but he knew better than to underestimate any of Kratos' relatives. Despite the innocent look, perhaps the boy had something up to his sleeve. Still, the mind boggling question bugged him out of everything. Being an expert magician he was, and a pride that he knew almost everything related to magitechnology, for he had studied it his whole life (Four _thousand_ years! Who else had lived that long aside of the three of them?) , he couldn't think even a single satisfying answer on how Kratos managed to hide his trace for the whole fourteen years. Hiding in the term of completely vanishing, since neither him nor Mithos doubted the fact he was dead. Maybe, in the tiniest chance, they had grown careless of their certainty, but it was almost impossible to be unseen by anyone in Cruxis. Fourteen years were not a short time, and he managed to trick everyone.

Yeah, he was succeeded in escaping with Anna for the full two years before they managed to corner him in that fateful day, but the journey wasn't without trouble. They faced Desians along their way, and not rarely he himself or even Mithos. The idea that he could fake his own death, hiding from them while raising the secret twin all these time screamed one word in his head. Impossible!

He scratched his head out of habit, trying to solve the mystical equation.

* * *

The auburn haired boy in front of him had no less complicated problem in his mind. They would soon reach Iselia, and he began to doubt his actions. There was high probability that what they had planned would be completely useless once Yuan interfered. He wouldn't leave Kratos that easily, given that in his perception they had something amiss. Going to another place wasn't certainly an option. Yuan was glaring daggers right now, and Lloyd was surprised that the trees didn't wither right away.

If only he could buy them some time… he sighed. Unable to pull on his thoughts anymore, he scratched the back of his head, deciding to divert his mind instead. He imagined Colette, her smile, and that she definitely say if she was there. A 'don't worry, you can do it, Lloyd!' made its way to him, and he found himself automatically smiled.

Funny thing about the world, he made a mental note, it could turn upside down any second, and Lloyd couldn't help but think that he was perhaps, the world's favorite toy. Okay, this was not his world. Or rather, dimension? Raine would probably scold him for his inability to differentiate between the two. But she wasn't here, and Lloyd didn't care about such trivial thing right now.

Then there was Genis. He wondered what they were doing, and how was his world's condition? Origin hasn't said a thing. Maybe he was too eager. All he had done was a dimension (he preferred it over 'world') and he was already homesick. Couldn't be blamed, he assured his mind. After all, I spent a year there and it's quite a long time…wait…

He was snapped back to reality. The shock was so great that he lost his concentration and stumbled upon a random pile of stones. Yuan was still preoccupied. Had he not he should be able to sense something was wrong.

Did it mean he had left his friends for a year? Did all dimensions go through the same time flow? Then-what happened to his world now? Last time he saw it, Aselia could barely hold to another day. Stupid! And now he planned another year in this dimension.

His blood raced. How could he forget such important part? Professor Raine always said he was too simple minded, but the words now no longer joke in his head. Raine always said he never be too much a thinker. As right as she always be, this was a disaster. Come to think about it, before they could calculate how much time they had, they shouldn't waste too much. He had messed up the whole journey. Unconsciously, he walked faster, almost running, desperate to ask his companion's opinion.

Kratos said a year. Hell, change in plan! They obviously couldn't use one extra year in this world!

They need something to move faster, to enable them to visit Origin's Tablet while maintaining the communication at the same time. He glanced to his side, noticing a certain blue haired half elf. Yuan. Renegades. Rheairds. Of course!

Now he need to know who is in charge of the Renegades . Yuan replaced Kratos in the World regeneration journey. _Is there any chance he does the double agent_? He decided the crisis of time was worth the risk to find out. Summoning his usual confidence to cover his discomfort, he tried to sound like they were engaging in light conversation, hoping that Yuan wouldn't be offended too much.

"You're the one accompanying the Chosen on her journey, correct?"

Yuan raised his eyebrows. Okay, that wasn't a good starter. A lame one, in fact.

"Do you have anything towards that?"

Lloyd swore he would rather choose to save the world one more time than dealing with information digging process. He could felt his impression of Raine, Sheena, and Kratos increased tenfold. He was somehow regretting for not getting enough practice of this certain subject during his journey.

Since he didn't know one bit about the trade of diplomacy, he decided that doing it his own way would be better, and save him from unnecessary silence, like this one.

_Okay, here goes._

"Who is the leader of Renegades?"

Blurting it out right wasn't his brightest idea, but it certainly worth a shot. He need not to pursue the question in circling conversation nor blowing himself in the process. That simple sentence was enough to give him drastic change on expression.

Mere second ago he was his usual calm, cold face. Now it went from reddish black of confusion and anger to speckled darkness of fury. A bit of 'how could you' could be recognized from the pattern, as well as worries. It was amusing if only the situation was not that worse. The growing silence was full of pressure, and the heavy air was filled with the intention to kill. His hand moved to his Swallow just in time Lloyd pulled his own swords in anticipation.

Yuan, however, had passed his sudden explode of emotions and managed to chill down. Still, his stance didn't budge and he made sure his seriousness was known to Lloyd.

"I suppose talking to you is more important now. Let's go to the base. With you talking like that I assume you've already know where it is. Doing that kind of conversation here is risky, but after we reach the base I'll make you tell everything."

Now he was positive that Yuan played double agent. Perhaps he could use the information in the near future. Ignoring the deadly glare towards him, he trekked on, finally getting the excitement of his plan.

Quickly making a mental note for the act he about to play, he followed Yuan without further question.

* * *

Meanwhile in Iselia, Kratos had just finished with the ritual and was on his way back to the Chosen's house. He thought about Origin's absence and 'his' death fourteen years prior. There were oddities that nudge for his concern, but he couldn't figure what they were. After making sure the Chosen had been home safely he walked to the village's outskirts, trying to find better place to gather his mind.

One thing he realized: if Mithos received any report about his sightings in Iselia, no one could guess what he would do. After all, he was needed in the most crucial part of his plan. The problem had become more complex than what he expected at the first place. Closing his eyes, he let his mind rest, piecing together what he had learnt so far.

The trees rustled at the sudden change of wind. The branch he leaned on was shaking softly, producing a subtle thumping sound as the fruits hit one another.

That was the time he noticed trails of a Rheaird up in the sky.

_Yuan?_

* * *

He found himself an inch from the tip of the Swallow, and being cornered to the wall of Yuan's office. He wasted no time once he fixed their position. They had entered the base in a rather destructive manner, gaining attention from the other Renegades all the way. He was half dragged by Yuan for the last one third of their journey.

"There's no time to lose, so let's go right to the point. Whose side you're on? Is Kratos still with Cruxis? That'll explain how he managed to escape for years." His cold, icy eyes scanned Lloyd thoroughly and Lloyd began to pray he wouldn't mess that on. He wasn't a very good liar to begin with.

"Are you crazy? After all that happened with mom?" he stressed every word with cynical expression that earned him some good nonverbal reaction from Yuan. The said half elf finally let out his stress in a sigh, now staring aimlessly to the sky while loosening his grip. His actions the past hour were almost un-Yuan-ish, but from his face Lloyd vaguely wondered of what had possibly happened in Cruxis. This Yuan seemed to be more frustrated than he ever seen in his world. Now that he mentioned it, he could see dust piled on his desk, and his books were collecting even more dust. His cape was wrinkled, and his hair was a bit messy.

"I…see. Still, that didn't stop me wondering of why he started his rebellion without contacting me. He's the one with the idea of Renegade, and now he left me alone. How irresponsible."

"Wait…what do you say?"

_Kratos was the one founding Renegade?

* * *

_

KatNote: Our chapter today comes from Dark Melodia! Thanks Dark Melodia! :D

~~SnoPhoenix


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